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THE  ROYAL 
HOUSE  OF  STUART 

VOL.  II. 


•  Aem  w  rrl</ff£pH  aS  ^SitfttrPMtL'nM-  /•!/  ffif  •  ^f 


MARY    QUEEN    OF    SCOTS. 

1545    -     1567 
Orkney     Port  rait. 


A* 


BY 


SAMUEL   COWAN,   J.P. 


Author  of  "Mary  Queen  of  Scots"  "  The  Ancient  Capital  of  Scotland" 
etc.,  etc, 


Ufc 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES 
VOL.    II. 


DATS, 


(All 


LONDON 

GREENING    &    CO.,    LTD. 

1908 


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AT^M^ 

I 


EM  «a 


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' .  'H.i»- 


ABRIDGED   CONTENTS— VOL.   II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

The  Cowrie  Conspiracy — Death  of  Queen  Elizabeth — Proclama- 
tion and  coronation  of  James  I. — The  Gunpowder  Plot — 
Execution  of  Lord  Crichton — The  Black  Parliament — Trial 
and  execution  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh — Death  and  character 
of  the  King  1-43 

CHAPTER  II. 

Marriage  of  Charles  I.  and  Henrietta  Maria — Coronation  at 
Edinburgh — His  Perth  visit — Scots  bishops  and  the  liturgy 
— Uproarious  proceedings  in  St.  Giles — Covenanters  and 
the  National  Covenant — King's  speech  to  Lords  at  York — 
The  Long  Parliament — Stafford's  execution — King  visits 
Edinburgh  44-81 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  King  demands  five  M.P.'s  to  be  delivered  up — Assaulted  by 
the  mob — Refuses  to  ratify  decrees  of  Parliament — Impeach- 
ment of  the  York  Lords — Battle  of  Edgehill — King  escapes 
to  Oxford — Battle  of  Marston  Moor — Execution  of  Laud — 
Battles  of  Tibbermore,  Philiphaugh  and  Naseby — Escape  of 
the  Queen  ...  82-118 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Surrender  of  the  King — Seized  by  Cromwell — Declaration  of  the 
Scottish  Parliament — King  escapes  to  Isle  of  Wight — His 
capture  and  imprisonment — Battle  of  Preston — Parliament 
and  Cromwell  quarrel — Members  seized  —Cromwell's  Parlia- 
ment— Trial  and  execution  of  the  King  ...  119-156 

CHAPTER  V. 

Charles  II.  proclaimed — The  "Rump"  Parliament — Battle  of 
Invercarron — Arrival  of  Charles  in  Scotland — Battle  of 
Dunbar — Coronation  of  Charles — Battle  of  Worcester  and 
capture  of  Leslie — Escape  of  the  King  ..  ...  ...  157-185 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Barebone's  Parliament  —  Proclamation  of  Charles  II.  —  Hyde 
created  Lord  Chancellor — Restoration  of  Charles — Argyll 
kidnapped  and  executed — Burning  of  the  Solemn  League 
and  Covenant — Restoration  of  the  bishops — Marriage  of  the 
King — Impeachment  of  Hyde — Battle  of  Rullion  Green — 
Escape  of  Clarendon  ...  186-222 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Death  of  Clarendon — Expelled  Clergy  restored— Dismissal  of 
Shaftesbury — Execution  of  Stafford — Murder  of  Archbishop 
Sharp — Defeat  of  Claverhouse  at  Drumclog — Battle  of  Both- 
well  Bridge  —  Covenanters  proclamation  —  Aird's  Moss 
engagement — Rye  House  Plot — Execution  of  Baillie  of 
Jerviswoode — Death  of  the  King  ...  ...  ...  ...  223-261 


vi  Contents 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  VIII. 

Marriage  of  James,  Duke  of  York— Argyll  arrested  and  escapes 

Proclamation  and  coronation  of  James  VII. — Monmouth 

invasion  —  Argyll  captured  and  beheaded  —  Johnston  of 
Westerhall,  Claverhouse  and  the  widow— Dunnottar  out- 
rage—Covenanters massacred— Battle  of  Sedgemoor — Execu- 
tion of  Monmouth— Judge  Jefferies,  his  career,  capture  and 
execution— James  and  the  Oxford  Professors 262-301 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Death  and  sentence  of  seven  bishops — Birth  of  the  Chevalier — 
Plot  to  assassinate  James — Arrival  of  Prince  of  Orange— 
*  Escape  of  James — William  and  Mary  proclaimed  at  Edin- 
burgh—Death  and  character  of  James  3O2-337 

CHAPTER  X. 

Declaration  by  William  and  acceptance  of  invitation — Throne 
declared  vacant — William  and  Mary  proclaimed  in  London 
— Coronation  at  Westminster  and  Edinburgh — Proclamation 
by  Scottish  Parliament — Letter,  Claverhouse  to  Melfort  ...  338-374 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Battle  of  Killiecrankie — Fall  of  Claverhouse — Battle  of  Dunkeld 
— Battle  of  Beachy  Head — Whitehall  Palace  burned — 
William  opens  Parliament — Glencoe  Massacre — ex-King's 
Declaration— Battle  of  La  Hogue 375-4IO 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Death  of  Queen  Mary — Official  report — Glencoe  Massacre — 
Plot  for  William's  assassination — Conspirators  arrested  and 
executed — Address  by  Perth  Corporation — General  Assembly 
of  1702 — Death  of  William  III.  411-446 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Acceptance  ot  Queen  Anne — Proclaimed  and  opens  Parliament 
— Coronation  of  Queen  Anne — Her  proclamation — Queen 
Anne's  Bounty — Battle  of  Blenheim — Blenheim  Palace — 
Treaty  of  Union  negotiations 447-478 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Treaty  of  Union  Commissioners — Stipulations  of  the  Treaty — 
Chevalier's  Declaration — Queen  and  Lady  Marlborough — 
Trial  and  sentence  of  Sacheverel — The  Marlborough  quarrel 
— Queen  opens  Parliament — Lady  Marlborough  dismissed 
from  Office— The  Toleration  Act  479-5o8 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Letter,  the  Pretender  to  the  Queen — Letter  from  the  Electress 
Sophia — Dismissal  of  Marlborough — His  death  and  funeral — 
Letter,  the  Pretender  to  the  Queen — Death  of  the  Electress 
— Letter  from  Elector  George  to  the  Queen — Death  of  Queen 
Anne — Deaths  of  the  Chevalier  and  Prince  Charles  Edward  509-540 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 
IDolume  n. 

MARY  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS    -  -     Frontispiece 

JAMES  VI. — Drummond  Castle  Portrait        -    Facing  page  3 

JAMES  VI. — By  Van  Somers       -  „  17 

ANNE  OF  DENMARK,  wife  of  James  VI.  „  1 8 

JAMES  VI. — Bryant's  Portrait     -  „  40 

CHARLES  I. — Drummond  Castle  Portrait       -  „  44 

HENRIETTA    MARIA,    wife  of    Charles     I. — 

By  Kneller  „  47 

CHARLES  I. — By  Vandyck  „  82 

CHARLES  I. — National  Gallery  Portrait  „  119 

CHARLES  II. — By  Lely      -  ,,157 
CATHERINE    OF    BRAGANZA,    wife    of    Charles 

II. — National  Portrait  Gallery     -  „  161 

CHARLES  II. — Dawney  Court  Portrait  „  187 

JAMES  VII. — By  Kneller  -  „  262 

MARY  OF  MODENA,  wife  of  James  VII. — By 

Rigaud — Strickland  Collection     -  „  265 

MARY    OF    MODENA. — By    Kneller — Blair's 

College  Collection     -  ,,306 
WILLIAM     III.,     Prince    of    Orange.  —  By 

Wissing — From  the  Collection  of  the 

Duke  of  Portland  at  Welbeck  Abbey    -  „  338 

QUEEN  MARY,  wife  of  the  Prince  of  Orange-  „  342 

WILLIAM  III.,  Prince  of  Orange — By  Kneller  „  411 

QUEEN  ANNE — By  Kneller  „  447 

DUCHESS  OF  MARLBOROUGH — By  Lely  „  479 

JAMES,  THE    CHEVALIER    ST.    GEORGE,    as    a 

Youth     -  ,,509 

JAMES  VIII. — National  Gallery  Portrait        -  „  518 

CARDINAL    YORK — From    the    Collection    at 

Newbattle        -  »  533 

CHARLES  EDWARD  STUART — From    the  Col- 
lection of  the  Marquis  of  Lothian   at 

Newbattle  Abbey  „  537 

CHARLES      EDWARD      STUART  —  From     the 

Glenaladale   Portrait  at  Cluny    Castle, 

Badenoch  „  538 

CHARLES  EDWARD  (PRINCE  CHARLIE)  —  The 

farewell  after  Culloden        -  „  539 


THE 

ROYAL  HOUSE  OF  STUART 


CHAPTER  I. 

King's  financial  Commission — The  King  and  the  Clergy — 
Edinburgh  Magistrates  imprisoned — King's  reckless  expendi- 
ture— The  Cowrie  Conspiracy — The  Cowrie  Trial  in  Edin- 
burgh— Death  of  Queen  Elizabeth — James's  Proclamation — 
His  Coronation  at  Westminster — Queen  and  Lady  Mar 
quarrel  —  James's  Letter  to  House  of  Commons  —  His 
characteristic  Letter  for  loan  of  £20 — The  Gunpowder  Plot — 
The  Constant  Moderator  squabble — Lord  Scone  and  Perth 
Presbytery — Trial  and  Execution  of  Lord  Crichton — James 
visits  Scotland  — The  Five  Articles  of  Perth  — The  Black 
Parliament — King's  interview  with  the  Professors — Trial  and 
Execution  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  —  Lady  Arabella  Stuart  — 
Death  and  character  of  the  King  —  His  Family — Pasquil 
Saul  and  the  Witch  of  Endor. 

REIGN  OF  JAMES   VI. 

A.D.     1567 — 1625. 

ARGYLL  discovered  that  treachery  was  the  cause  of  his 
defeat  at  Glenlivet.  Some  of  the  Campbells  had  been 
tampering  with  Huntly  with  the  ultimate  object  of 
assassinating  Argyll,  so  that  Lochnell  might  get  the 
earldom,  and  the  estates  be  divided  among  the 
conspirators.  This  plot  was  connected,  it  is  said,  with 
that  for  the  murder  of  the  Earl  of  Moray,  and  those 
implicated  in  it  were  Maitland  the  Chancellor,  Huntly, 
Campbell  of  Glenorchy,  Campbell  of  Lochnell, 
Campbell  of  Ardkinlas,  and  Lord  Maxwell.  In 
addition  to  Argyll  the  bond  provided  for  the  death 
of  John  Campbell  of  Cawdor.  Argyll  discovered  this 

VOL.    II.  A 


a  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

plot  in  time,  assembled  his  vassals,  hurried  to  the  North, 
and  proclaimed  a  war  of  extermination  against  Huntly 
and  all  who  had  opposed  him  at  Glenlivet.  Mar  joined 
Argyll.  This  state  of  matters  roused  the  clergy,  who 
thought  the  Catholics  were  again  to  be  uppermost,  and 
according  to  the  historian  Calderwood,  "  ministers  of 
religion  were  murdered,  fathers  slain  by  their  own  sons, 
brothers  by  their  brethren,  married  women  ravished 
under  their  own  roof,  houses  with  their  inmates  burned 
amidst  savage  mirth,  and  the  land  wasted  by  fire, 
plunder,  and  the  cessation  of  agricultural  labour."  This 
picture  is  very  probably  exaggerated.  In  the  midst  of 
these  troubles  the  King  called  a  convention  of  his  nobles 
in  January,  1595,  when  he  found  it  impossible  to  restore 
peace  without  vigorous  proceedings.  He  thereupon 
imprisoned  Atholl,  Argyll,  Lovat,  Glenorchy,  Tulli- 
bardine  and  others,  until  they  had  made  redress  for 
the  excesses  committed  by  their  clansmen.  As  for  the 
Catholic  earls  and  Bothwell,  they  were  reduced  to  great 
straits ;  they  were  pursued  by  the  King's  troops,  and 
endeavoured  to  escape  to  the  Continent.  Bothwell  was 
seized,  but  turning  King's  evidence,  he  saved  his  life. 
On  1 7th  March  Errol  embarked  at  Peterhead,  and  two 
days  later  Huntly,  with  his  uncle  and  sixteen  persons, 
took  ship  at  Aberdeen  for  Denmark.  Bothwell  was 
found  in  destitution  skulking  near  Perth,  and  was  next 
heard  of  at  Orkney,  and  subsequently  at  Paris. 

Early  in  1596  a  convention  of  the  General  Assembly 
was  held  in  Edinburgh,  at  which  the  King  was  present, 
and  delivered  a  speech  in  favour  of  the  Protestant 
ministers,  and  in  favour  of  planting  kirks  and  augment- 
ing the  stipends  so  far  as  the  consent  of  the  nobility 
could  be  obtained.  This  speech  gave  the  clergy  great 
satisfaction,  and  they  reminded  the  King  that  he  had 
still  to  drive  out  of  the  country  "divers  Jesuits  and 
excommunicated  Papists." 

In  April,  1596,  William  Armstrong  (Kinmont  Willie), 
a  retainer  of  Scott  of  Buccleuch,  but  a  noted  freebooter, 
had  been  attending  a  Warden's  Court  held  by  the  English 


JAMES   VI. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(By  Van  Soincrs.) 

(From  the  Dnunmond  Castle  Collection.) 
(Photo,  Doig,  Wilson  &  Wheatley.) 


To  face  p.  1 


of  James  VI,  3 

and  Scots  Deputy- Wardens  at  the  rivulet  which  divides 
the  two  countries  when  he  was  suddenly  captured  by 
the  English,  tied  to  a  horse  and  carried  to  Carlisle  Castle, 
when  Scrope,  the  Governor,  put  him,  heavily  ironed,  into 
the  common  prison.  Buccleuch  demanded  his  instant 
release. 

On  a  very  dark  night,  in  the  midst  of  heavy  rain,  Scott 
assembled  200  of  his  followers  and  silently  led  80  of 
them  (noted  freebooters),  with  ladders  and  iron  tools, 
and  all  fully  armed,  to  the  wall  of  the  outer  court  of  the 
castle.  They  made  a  breach  in  the  wall  enough  for 
a  soldier  to  squeeze  through.  In  this  way  a  dozen, 
including  Buccleuch,  got  through,  passed  into  the  outer 
court,  disarmed  the  watch,  wrenched  open  the  gate 
from  the  inside  and  admitted  their  companions ;  24 
troopers  rushed  in  and  went  to  the  gaol  where  the 
prisoner  was,  forced  the  door  of  his  chamber,  where 
Kinmont  was  confined,  and  carried  him  off  in  his  irons. 
The  alarm  bell  was  rung  and  Scrope,  believing  that  500 
Scots  were  in  possession  of  the  castle,  kept  within  his 
chamber.  Buccleuch,  for  this  bold  adventure,  was  called 
up  before  Elizabeth  and  asked  by  her  how  he  had 
dared  to  storm  her  castle,  to  which  he  replied  :  "  What 
is  there,  Madam,  that  a  brave  man  may  not  dare  ?  " 
This  rejoinder  pleased  her  immensely,  and  turning  to 
her  courtiers,  she  exclaimed  :  "  Give  me  a  thousand  such 
leaders  and  I'll  shake  any  throne  in  Europe."  About 
this  period,  or  on  ipth  August,  1596,  the  Princess 
Elizabeth,  afterwards  Queen  of  Bohemia,  was  born  at 
Falkland  Palace. 

This  brilliant  exploit,  one  of  the  bravest  feats  of 
border  warfare,  was  afterwards  made  the  subject  of  a 
ballad.  The  freebooter,  in  swimming  his  horse  through 
the  Eden,  which  was  then  flooded,  was  cumbered  by  the 
irons  round  his  ankles.  Buccleuch,  anxious  to  rid  him 
of  these,  halted  at  the  first  smith's  shop  they  came  to, 
but  the  door  was  locked  and  the  smith  in  bed.  He  was 
so  sound  a  sleeper  that  he  was  only  wakened  by 
Buccleuch  thrusting  his  long  spear  through  the 


4  TRopal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

window,   and    nearly   spitting    both    Vulcan    and   his 
lady.1 

Between  the  Maxwells  and  Johnstones  there  had  long 
been  a  deadly  feud  which  had  been  temporarily  adjusted. 
Maxwell,  who  was  Warden  of  the  West  Marches,  again 
quarrelled  with  some  of  the  Johnstones  in  his  official 
capacity.  The  two  forces  met  at  Dryfe  sands,  near 
Lockerbie,  when  the  Johnstones  gained  a  decisive  victory. 
Before  the  battle  both  chieftains  had  offered  a  reward 
for  the  head  or  hand  of  the  other.  The  prize  fell  to 
Johnstone — the  hand  of  Maxwell  being  severed  as  he 
held  it  out  for  quarter,  and  his  head  carried  off  by  the 
victor.  This  victory  was  a  great  blow  to  the  Catholic 
party. 

After  this  event,  we  are  informed  that  the  relations 
between  the  King  and  the  Queen  were  not  very 
satisfactory  ;  the  King  was  too  intimate  with  the  Earl 
of  Morton's  daughter,  and  the  Queen  was  too  intimate 
with  the  Duke  of  Lennox  ;  and  the  correspondence  of 
the  period  attempts  to  throw  doubt  on  the  King  being 
the  father  of  Prince  Henry.  We  don't  think  these 
slanders  are  anything  more  than  the  merest  Court 
gossip,  as  they  are  wholly  unsupported  by  proof.  The 
estrangement,  however,  was  an  open  secret,  and  the  fact 
that  Mar,  by  the  King's  command,  had  the  custody  of 
the  infant  Prince,  rather  widened  the  breach  than  other- 
wise. The  King  had  been  foolish  enough  to  say  that 
"  were  he  on  his  death-bed  his  last  sign  should  be  that 
Mar  should  have  the  boy."  The  Queen,  recognising 
that  this  was  a  reflection  on  herself,  became  disheartened 
and  took  to  bed,  and  pretended  a  mortal  illness.  The 
King,  who  was  at  Falkland,  declared  it  to  be  a  trick. 
A  jury  of  matrons  sat  upon  her  malady,  and  called  it 
no  counterfeit.  .  The  King  thereupon  hurried  from 
Falkland,  and  was  told  at  Holyrood  that  Buccleuch 
and  Cessford  had  been  with  her — two  men  whom  he 
greatlydisliked — but  they  disappeared  before  his  arrival.2 
A  reconciliation,  it  is  said,  half  stormy,  half  affectionate, 
1  and  2  Tytler. 


TRetan  of  James  VI.  5 

took  place  between  the  King  and  the  Queen.  She 
demanded  the  custody  of  the  Prince,  while  he  upbraided 
her  for  leaguing  with  such  men  as  Buccleuch  and 
Cessford,  who  were  plotting  to  restrain  his  person,  seize 
the  heir  to  the  throne,  and  to  arraign  Mar,  the  governor, 
for  high  treason.  After  this  interview  the  King  returned 
to  Falkland.  It  would  appear  that  Sir  John  Maitland, 
the  Chancellor  (brother  of  Maitland  of  Lethington), 
created  dissension  between  the  King  and  Queen.  The 
situation  is  best  explained  in  the  Queen's  own  words  to 
Bowes,  the  ambassador :  "  He  acted  with  great  baseness 
both  towards  me  and  towards  the  King  ;  it  was  he  who 
first  moved  me  to  get  the  Prince  out  of  Mar's  hands  ;  it 
was  he  who  animated  the  King  against  me  ;  it  was  he 
who  dealt  so  between  the  King  and  myself,  and  with 
the  persons  interested  therein,  that  the  seizure  of  the 
King  was  plotted,  and  would  have  taken  place  at  his 
coming  to  Edinburgh,  but  I  discovered  the  conspiracy 
and  warned  him.  Had  he  come  he  would  have  been 
captured,  and  would  have  remained  in  captivity."  The 
Queen,  in  these  words,  correctly  represented  the  situation. 
In  1596  the  King  was  financially  almost  in  a  state 
of  bankruptcy,  because  of  extravagant  expenditure  by 
himself  and  the  Queen.  Glamis,  Seton,  and  Douglas, 
Provost  of  Lincluden,  were  dismissed  from  their  offices 
of  state  and  a  council  of  eight  appointed  to  look  after  the 
Crown  revenues  and  expenditure.  These  were  known 
as  the  Octavians.  It  was  decreed  that  no  alienation  of 
revenue  or  property  of  the  Crown,  no  grant  of  pension, 
nor  order  on  the  treasury,  even  though  signed  by  the 
King,  should  be  valid  unless  countersigned  by  five  of 
the  council.  This  council  held  their  commission  directly 
from  the  King,  and  met  daily  in  the  Tolbooth  of 
Edinburgh.  They  had  no  salary,  but  eventually  they 
became  powerful  and  controlled  the  patronage  of  the 
State.  Their  term  of  office  was  short  They  quarrelled 
among  themselves,  and  in  1599  resigned  office,  when 
another  set  of  counsellors  took  their  place.  Financial 
matters  did  not  improve,  nor  was  it  possible  for  them 


6  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

to  improve.  The  King's  profuse  habits,  his  lavish 
gratuities  to  favourites,  and  the  extravagance  of  the 
Queen,  kept  the  exchequer  in  a  state  of  chronic  poverty. 
The  same  year  there  was  great  trouble  between  the 
Protestants  on  the  one  side,  and  the  King  and  his  Court 
on  the  other.  The  King,  according  to  the  clergy,  was 
encouraging  Papacy  and  not  conforming  to  the  laws  of 
the  Kirk.  The  capital  was  in  a  state  of  riot,  and  the 
clergy  kept  up  the  excitement  by  revolutionary  speeches. 
They  attacked  the  King  in  their  sermons,  accused  him 
of  persecution,  and  an  enemy  of  all  godliness.  He 
declared  it  was  his  intention  to  maintain  religion  and 
the  discipline  of  the  Church,  as  established  by  law, 
notwithstanding  any  opinion  which  might  be  expressed 
by  the  clergy.  In  August,  Andrew  Melville,  Patrick 
Galloway  and  James  Nicholson  visited  the  King  at 
Falkland  in  the  midst  of  these  religious  disturbances. 
Melville,  addressing  him,  said  :  "  There  are  two  kings 
and  two  kingdoms  in  Scotland  :  there  is  Christ  Jesus 
the  King,  and  His  kingdom,  the  Kirk,  whose  subject 
King  James  VI.  is  ;  and  of  whose  kingdom  not  a  king, 
nor  a  lord,  nor  a  head,  but  a  member.  And  they  whom 
Christ  has  called  and  commanded  to  watch  over  the 
Kirk  and  govern  His  spiritual  kingdom  have  sufficient 
power  of  Him  and  authority  so  to  do,  both  together  and 
severally  ;  the  which  no  Christian  king  nor  prince  should 
control  and  discharge,  but  fortify  and  assist,  otherwise 
they  are  not  faithful  subjects  nor  members  of  Christ." ' 
It  was  thereupon  arranged  by  the  clergy  that  the  pulpits 
should  open  upon  the  King  with  a  general  discharge 
like  a  broadside  in  a  sea  fight.2  David  Black, 
minister  of  St.  Andrews,  attacked  Elizabeth  as  well  as 
James.  He  denounced  her  as  an  atheist.  The  English 
ambassador  demanded  an  explanation,  seeing  that  a 
subject  of  a  power  in  close  alliance  with  England  had 
so  spoken  of  his  sovereign.  Black  was  cited  before  the 
King  in  council  on  i8th  November  ;  evidence  was  led, 
when  he  was  convicted  and  ordered  to  be  imprisoned. 
1  Melville's  Diary.  2  Hill  Burton. 


ot  3ames  VI,  7 

The  King  announced  that  the  capital  was  no  longer  a 
fit  place  for  his  residence,  and  he  removed  the  Court  to 
Linlithgow,  issuing  a  proclamation  :  "  Seeing  that  by 
persuasion  of  the  ministers  a  multitude  of  the  citizens 
had  treasonably  put  themselves  in  arms,  intending  to 
bereave  the  King  and  council  of  their  lives,  did  think 
the  said  town  (Edinburgh)  an  unfit  place  for  the 
administration  of  justice ;  and  therefore  the  King 
ordains  the  lords  of  session,  sheriffs,  commissaries  and 
justices,  to  remove  themselves  furth  of  the  town  of 
Edinburgh,  into  such  place  as  shall  be  appointed." 

This  proclamation  had  good  results,  for  the  King,  on 
ist  January,  1597,  returned  to  the  capital,  everything 
being  quiet  and  peaceful,  when  the  provost  and  magis- 
trates delivered  the  keys  of  the  city  on  their  knees  to 
the  King,  expressed  their  deep  regret  for  the  late  tumult 
of  which  they  declared  they  were  innocent.  He  declined 
to  accept  their  submission,  declared  the  tumult  to  be 
treason,  and  ordered  the  provost  and  magistrates  to  be 
imprisoned  in  the  Tolbooth  of  Perth  as  a  punishment 
for  their  conduct,  and  to  remain  there  until  acquitted 
or  found  guilty  of  the  late  uproar.  This  conduct  of  the 
King  was  regarded  by  the  clergy  as  Episcopacy.  His 
triumph  over  the  clergy,  the  vigour  with  which  he  had 
brought  the  bishops  into  Parliament  and  compelled  his 
nobles  to  renounce  their  blood  feuds,  seems  to  have 
persuaded  him  that  his  will  and  prerogative  were  to 
bear  down  all  before  them.  At  the  same  time  the 
magistrates  of  Edinburgh  had  arrested  an  offender ;  he 
was  rescued  by  a  servant  of  the  King.  The  magistrates 
prosecuted  the  rescuer  and  compelled  him  to  give  assur- 
ance that  he  would  deliver  the  original  culprit,  but  he 
failed  in  his  promise,  and  the  civic  authorities  seized 
him  and  sent  him  to  prison.  The  King  interfered,  and 
commanded  his  servant  to  be  set  free,  but  the  magis- 
trates refused.  The  King  sent  another  message ;  it 
was  met  by  a  formal  reply.  The  magistrates  declared 
that  they  were  ready  to  resign  their  office ;  so  long, 
however,  as  they  kept  it,  they  would  do  their  duty. 


8  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

The  King  was  much  enraged,  but  cooled  down  and 
pocketed  the  affront.1  Shortly  after  this  a  judgment 
was  given  in  the  Court  of  Session  in  favour  of  Robert 
Bruce,  who  had  been  deprived  of  his  stipend  by  the 
King.  Bruce  had  sued  the  Crown.  The  King  appealed, 
came  personally  to  the  court  and  pleaded  his  own  cause, 
and  commanded  the  judges  to  vote  against  Bruce.  Sir 
Alexander  Seton,  the  president,  rose  and  addressed  the 
King  as  follows : — "  My  liege,  you  are  our  king,  we  your 
subjects,  bound  and  ready  to  obey  you  from  the  heart, 
and  with  all  devotion  to  serve  you  with  our  lives  and 
substance  ;  but  this  is  a  matter  of  law,  on  which  we  are 
sworn  to  do  justice  according  to  our  conscience  and  the 
statutes  of  the  realm.  Your  Majesty  may  indeed  com- 
mand us  to  the  contrary,  in  which  case  I  and  every 
honest  man  on  this  bench  will  either  vote  according  to 
conscience,  or  resign,  and  not  vote  at  all."  Thereafter 
the  judges,  with  two  dissentient  voices,  pronounced  their 
decision  in  favour  of  Bruce  and  against  the  Crown,  for 
which  the  King  was  unprepared,  and  in  indignation  he 
instantly  left  the  court.  The  attitude  of  Seton  was 
noble  and  courageous. 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1597  James  was 
busily  employed  with  the  trial  of  witches  and  an 
expedition  to  the  borders.  Fourteen  of  the  most 
notorious  offenders  were  taken  and  executed ;  thirty- 
six  of  the  principal  barons  who  had  encouraged  their 
outrages  were  seized  and  brought  prisoners  to  the  capital. 
Parliament  then  assembled,  when  the  King  dwelt  on 
the  wrongs  he  had  received  in  the  execution  of  his 
mother,  and  the  unjust  imputations  of  Elizabeth,  who 
accused  him  of  exciting  Poland  and  Denmark  against 
her,  and  fostering  rebellion  in  Ireland ;  and  the  attempt 
made  in  the  English  Parliament  to  defeat  his  title  to 
the  crown  of  England. 

When  Sir  William  Bowes  arrived  in  Edinburgh  in 
May,  1599,  he  found  James  engaged  writing  his 
"  Basilicon  Doron." 

1  Tytler. 


1Rei0n  of  James  VI.  9 

In  June  following,  Sir  Edmond  Ashfield,  an  English- 
man, was,  on  the  recommendation  of  Lord  Willoughby, 
sent  from  Berwick  to  Edinburgh  to  the  Court  of  James 
as  a  confidential  agent  for  secret  information.  Lord 
Willoughby  afterwards  thought  he  was  a  suspicious 
character,  and  might  do  mischief  in  Scotland,  and 
Bowes  had  the  impression  that  treachery  against 
England  was"  intended.  It  was  agreed  to  kidnap 
Ashfield.  Accordingly  John  Guevara,  Deputy- Warden 
of  the  East  Marches,  with  three  assistants,  had  the 
ambassador's  coach  in  waiting  one  day  on  Leith  sands. 
Ashfield,  under  pretence  of  a  pleasure  drive,  was 
inveigled  into  it,  and  instead  of  being  driven  to 
Edinburgh,  was  carried  off  to  Berwick  and  put  under 
restraint.  James  wrote  a  dignified  remonstrance  to 
Willoughby,  asking  an  explanation  of  this  proceeding, 
and  if  it  was  by  Elizabeth's  authority,  as  he  would  not 
pass  it  over.  Willoughby  replied  that  he  did  it  in  the 
discharge  of  his  public  duty.  Sir  William  Bowes, 
Elizabeth's  ambassador  in  Scotland,  was  recalled. 

In  1599  the  King's  extravagant  expenditure  of 
money  came  to  a  climax.  His  Treasurer  was  obliged 
to  remonstrate  with  him.  Money,  he  said,  was  required 
for  the  King's  whole  movables  and  silver-work,  all  worn 
and  consumed,  for  all  departments,  and  for  all  districts 
of  the  kingdom.  There  were  no  funds  to  pay  the 
Ambassador  in  England,  nor  for  secret  intelligence,  nor 
for  the  support  of  public  officers  at  home,  nor  for  the 
Wardens  of  the  West  Marches,  etc.  It  was  in  vain  to 
look  to  England,  as  Elizabeth  advised  him  that  from 
1592  to  1599  she  had  advanced  him  £26,000.  The 
result  was  that  the  office  of  Lord  Treasurer,  and  other 
offices  of  State,  were  going  a-begging.  It  is  conjectured 
that  after  this  appeal  he  contracted  a  loan  from  the 
Earl  of  Gowrie.  The  baptism  of  the  infant  Princess 
took  place  at  this  date,  and  it  is  said  the  expense  was 
defrayed  out  of  the  pockets  of  the  lords  of  the 
bedchamber.1  We  may  give  an  illustration  of  the 
'Nicholson  to  Cecil,  15th  April,  1599. 


io  IRo^al  flxwse  of  Stuart 

King's  reckless  way  of  dealing  with  money.  On  one 
occasion,  in  the  gallery  of  Whitehall  some  servants 
happened  to  pass  through  bearing  a  large  sum  of 
money — .£3,000 — which  they  were  conveying  to  the  Privy 
Purse.  The  King,  observing  the  servants  whispering  to 
one  another,  and  ascertaining  from  one  of  his  attendants, 
Henry  Rich,  that  the  subject  of  conversation  was  an 
incidental  wish  that  Rich  had  expressed  that  he  could 
appropriate  the  gold  to  his  own  use  ;  the  King 
immediately  ordered  it  to  be  conveyed  to  Rich's 
lodgings,  remarking  that  it  afforded  him  more  pleasure 
in  bestowing  the  money  than  Rich  could  receive  in 
accepting  it.1  At  the  marriage  of  Sir  John  Ramsay 
(Viscount  Haddington  of  the  Gowrie  Conspiracy)  with 
Lady  Elizabeth  Ratcliffe,  he  paid  Ramsay's  debts, 
amounting  to  .£10,000,  though  he  had  already  given 
him  £1,000  per  annum  in  land,  and  sent  the  bride  a 
gold  cup  in  which  was  a  patent  containing  a  grant  of 
lands  of  £600  a  year.2  From  the  abstract  of  his  revenue 
we  find  that  his  presents  at  different  times  in  money 
to  Lord  Dunbar  amounted  to  £15,000;  to  the  Earl  of 
Mar,  £  1 5,500  ;  to  Viscount  Haddington,  £3  i.ooo.3  The 
King  in  1603  produced  the  "Basilicon  Doron,"  which  has 
been  called  an  attack  on  the  Presbyterian  form  of  Church 
government.  "  The  severe  and  sweeping  censure  pro- 
nounced upon  the  Scottish  Reformation  as  the  offspring 
of  popular  tumult  and  rebellion  plainly  indicated  the 
author's  leaning  to  prelacy  and  popery."  The  book, 
which  went  through  three  editions,  was  highly  praised 
in  England,  but  was  received  by  the  Scottish  clergy 
with  feelings  of  indignation.  A  general  fast  was 
proclaimed  on  one  occasion  by  the  clergy  to  avert  by 
prayer  and  humiliation  the  judgment  so  likely  to  fall 
on  an  apostate  king  and  a  miserable  country.4  The 
King,  who  wrote  a  volume  on  Demonology  and 

1  England  under  the  Stuarts. 

2  Lodge's  Illustrations. 

3  Lingard's  History  of  England. 

4  Sir  W.  Bowes  to  Cecil,  25th  June,  1599. 


ot  Sames  VL  1 1 

Witchcraft,  attempted  a  translation  of  the  Psalms,  but 
it  fell  through. 

This  condition  of  matters  induced  the  King  to  show 
himself  in  a  new  colour  to  the  no  small  astonishment 
of  the  people.  He  resolved  he  would  make  friends 
with  the  Pope,  and  probably  get  some  money  out  of 
the  Catholics.  This  showed  him  to  be  destitute  of  all 
principle.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  Pope  Clement  VIII., 
in  which,  after  many  expressions  of  regard,  he  promised 
to  treat  the  Catholics  with  greater  indulgence,  professed 
a  desire  to  have  a  resident  minister  at  the  Court  of 
Rome,  and  named  a  certain  Bishop  Drummond,  who, 
in  his  opinion,  should  be  appointed  Cardinal.  It  so 
happened  that  the  Master  of  Gray,  who  was  in  Italy 
at  this  period  acting  as  a  spy  for  the  English  Court, 
had  procured  a  copy  of  this  letter  and  sent  it  to 
Elizabeth.  She  instantly  sent  an  ambassador  to  Scot- 
land to  inquire  fully  into  the  matter  and  to  reproach 
James  for  his  inconsistent  conduct.  James  heard  the 
accusation  with  astonishment,  denied  all  knowledge  of 
the  letter,  and  pronounced  the  whole  story  a  vile 
calumny.  His  secretary,  Elphinstone,  afterwards  ad- 
mitted that  he  (Elphinstone)  wrote  the  letter  unknown 
to  the  King,  and  for  that  he  was  condemned  to  be 
executed,  but  the  Queen  interposed  and  saved  his  life.1 
This  did  not  clear  up  the  matter  by  any  means.  It 
was  said  that  Elphinstone,  to  save  his  master's  honour, 
had  sacrificed  his  own.2  It  is  certain,  the  historian 
says,  that,  with  a  view  to  the  English  succession, 
James  was  at  this  time  labouring  to  gain  the  con- 
fidence of  the  Catholics,  and  in  this  way  incurred  the 
suspicion  of  Elizabeth. 

Episcopacy  was  established  by  a  General  Assembly 
held  at  Montrose  on  28th  March,  1600.  It  was 
decided  that  the  King  should  choose  each  bishop 
for  every  vacancy  out  of  a  leet  of  six  selected  by 
the  Kirk. 

That  notable  event  in  Scottish  history,  the  Gowrie 
1  Spottiswoode.  2  Calderwood. 


1 2  iRopal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


Conspiracy,  which  culminated  in  the  assassination  of 
the  Earl  of  Cowrie  and  his  brother,  Alexander 
Ruthven,  has  never  been  clearly  understood  by 
posterity,  and  probably  never  will.  Modern  research 
rather  indicates  that  the  King  was  the  conspirator, 
and  the  object  to  get  quit  of  a  heavy  financial 
obligation  due  to  Gowrie  by  the  King.  The  event 
occurred  on  5th  August,  1600,  and  being  already 
fully  recorded,  it  is  unnecessary  to  do  more  than 
make  a  brief  recital.1  The  official  narrative,  written 
by  the  King  —  the  only  record  we  possess  —  is  not 
generally  accepted  as  bond  fide;  and  there  is  no 
record  whatever  from  the  Ruthvens.  Unlike  the  law- 
less nobles  of  that  period,  young  Gowrie  and  his  brother 
were  law-abiding  subjects,  while  there  is  absolutely 
nothing  recorded  against  them  in  the  history  of  the 
time,  a  fact  that  must  ever  leave  us  in  doubt  as  to 
their  connection  with  this  formidable  plot.  On  that 
eventful  day  the  King  and  several  of  his  nobles  dined 
with  Gowrie  at  Gowrie  House.  After  dinner  Alexander 
Ruthven  conducted  the  King  to  the  turret  chamber, 
where  some  conversation  is  alleged  to  have  taken  place 
between  them,  after  which  Ruthven  seized  the  King 
by  the  wrists  and  attempted  to  bind  him  with  a  garter 
which  he  had  in  his  hand.  The  King  dragged  Ruthven 
to  the  open  window  of  the  apartment,  and  called  out 
to  the  spectators  :  "  Treason !  Help  !  I  am  murdered  ! " 
Some  of  the  nobles  from  the  outside  saw  the  King's 
face,  with  a  hand  grasping  his  throat.  They  rushed 
up  the  "black  turnpike,"  or  back  stair,  forced  open 
the  door  of  the  turret  chamber,  when  Sir  John  Ramsay, 
who  was  the  first  to  enter,  struck  Ruthven  with  his 
dagger,  and  stabbed  him  twice  on  the  lower  part  of 
the  body.  Gowrie  and  his  servants,  who  rushed  up- 
stairs with  drawn  swords,  seeing  the  bleeding  body  of 
his  brother,  swore  that  the  traitors  who  murdered  him 
should  die.  The  King  had  gone  out  to  the  adjoining 

1  See    the   Author's   work,    "  Gowrie    Conspiracy "  :    London  : 
Sampson  Low  &  Co. 


IReian  of  James  VI,  13 

room.  Gowrie  was  told  the  King  was  dead,  at  which 
he  stood  aghast :  "  Waes  me !  has  the  King  been  slain 
in  my  house  ?  "  He  had  no  sooner  uttered  the  words 
when  Ramsay,  before  Gowrie  could  defend  himself, 
struck  him  down  with  his  sword  and  killed  him  on 
the  spot.  After  all  was  over,  the  King  knelt  in 
company  with  his  nobles  and  thanked  God  for  his 
deliverance.  All  this  is  given  in  the  official  narrative. 
In  the  consideration  of  this  extraordinary  event,  the 
first  suspicious  circumstance  that  is  noticeable  is  the 
conversation  in  the  turret  chamber.  If  Gowrie  was 
the  conspirator,  Ruthven  would  have  slain  the  King  at 
once  when  he  had  him  in  his  power.  There  was  no  need 
for  the  silly  conversation  which  is  recorded.  At  such 
a  critical  moment  a  conspirator,  in  the  circumstances, 
was  more  likely  to  use  his  sword  than  his  tongue.  We 
have  no  means  of  knowing  what  took  place  in  the 
chamber  if  we  put  aside  the  so-called  official  version. 
Ruthven  was  a  youth  of  nineteen  years  of  age ;  the 
King  was  in  his  thirty-fourth  year,  and  was  a  much 
stronger  man  than  Ruthven.  Had  the  latter  been  a 
conspirator,  he  would  never  have  gone  to  the  turret 
chamber  alone  to  assassinate  the  King.  The  fact  that 
the  King  dragged  him  to  the  open  window  is  rather  a 
proof  of  Ruthven's  being  the  victim.  It  is  also  notice- 
able that  the  King's  conduct  after  the  event  is  not 
reassuring. 

The  inhabitants  of  Perth  would  not  believe  his 
statement  that  the  conspiracy  was  the  act  of  Gowrie ; 
and  to  such  an  extent  did  this  feeling  prevail  that  he 
had  to  remain  in  Gowrie  House  on  the  fatal  day  till  it 
was  dark,  and  then  depart  clandestinely  with  his  escort 
to  Falkland  in  order  to  save  his  life.  This,  it  will  be 
observed,  seems  inconsistent  with  Gowrie  being  the 
conspirator ;  and  what  is  the  explanation  of  500  armed 
men  being  there  on  behalf  of  the  King,  whereas  Gowrie 
had  nobody  ?  The  King  made  a  bold  effort  to  pacify 
the  people  of  Perth  by  granting  them  charters  and 
other  privileges  ;  visiting  Perth  on  various  occasions ; 


i4  TRosal  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

eventually  becoming  a  burgess.  The  question,  of  course, 
remains  :  What  was  the  King's  object  in  committing  this 
crime,  if  he  did  commit  it  ?  We  must  remember  that  he 
was  a  man  of  a  very  jealous  nature,  and  could  not  bear 
a  rival  to  his  popularity.  He  was  not  a  scholar,  while 
his  manners  were  rude,  brusque  and  unrefined,  and  this 
was  not  the  first  conspiracy  that  the  King  had  been 
connected  with.  Gowrie,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a 
scholar,  educated  at  Padua,  a  famous  seat  of  learning  at 
that  period,  and  was  one  of  the  most  accomplished  men 
of  that  age.  He  was  a  favourite  at  the  Court  of  England, 
a  general  favourite  in  Scotland,  and  a  popular  chief 
magistrate  of  Perth.  In  nothing  did  he  resemble  his 
rebellious  father.  If  the  King  was  an  innocent  man, 
why  did  he  execute,  after  a  mock  trial,  the  three  servants 
of  Gowrie — Granston.Craigengelt  andMacGregor — all  of 
whom  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  event?  Evidently  he 
was  determined  to  remove  every  person  who  could  give 
evidence  in  Gowrie's  favour.  The  testimony  of  these 
men  would  have  settled  the  question  of  his  guilt  or 
innocence.  The  correspondence  at  this  date  of 
Nicholson,  Elizabeth's  envoy  in  Scotland,  with  Sir 
Robert  Cecil  is  of  considerable  importance.  He  says, 
unless  the  King  bring  the  conspirators  to  the  scaffold 
the  people  will  form  dangerous  opinions.  They  will 
believe  him  guilty  and  Gowrie  innocent.  He  also  says 
that  the  clergy  were  not  at  all  convinced  of  the  bond 
fides  of  the  King's  narrative.  Nicholson,  though  he 
makes  no  comment,  makes  it  clear  to  Cecil  what  he 
means.  "  The  matter  is  believed  to  be  otherwise  than 
the  King  reports  it ;  all  parts  of  the  country,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  are  in  great  suspicion  at  the  King's  narrative." 
The  Rev.  Robert  Bruce  and  the  Edinburgh  clergy 
positively  refused  to  thank  God  for  the  King's 
deliverance,  as  they  did  not  believe  Gowrie  was  the 
conspirator,  and  they  therefore  refused  to  pray  for  the 
King  from  their  pulpits.  They  preferred  to  encounter 
his  utmost  vengeance  to  implicating  themselves  in  what 
they  conscientiously  believed  to  be  an  infamous  act. 


1Rdgn  of  James  VI.  15 

Eventually,  to  save  imprisonment,  and  perhaps  to  save 
their    lives,    they    all     recanted    except    Bruce.      He 
absolutely  refused,  and  would    take   the  consequences 
rather  than  perjure  himself.     Bruce  was  the  second  son 
of  Sir  Alexander  Bruce  of  Airth,  and  Janet,  daughter  of 
Alexander,  fifth  Lord  Livingstone.     He  became  a  warm 
and  trusted  friend  of  King  James,  and  was  made  a 
member  of  the  Privy  Council.     When  the  King,  in  1589, 
went  to  Denmark  to  get  married  Bruce  was  one  of  the 
guardians  of  the  realm  till  the  King's  return.     At  the 
coronation  of  the  Queen  he  had  the  honour  of  anointing 
the  Queen  and  placing  the  crown  on  her  head,  which 
was   considered    a  great  triumph  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  over  the  titular  bishops.     It  is  said  that  Bruce 
exercised  greater  influence  in  Edinburgh  than  the  King. 
He  was  the  leader  of  the  Presbyterians  in  Scotland  ;  his 
opinion  was  therefore  a  matter  of  great  importance  to 
the  King.     It  is  said  by  a  modern  writer  that  the  whole 
affair  (the  conspiracy)  was  a  conspiracy  by  the  King  to 
rid  himself  of  two  men  whom  he  had  reason  to  hate. 
On  the  5th  November,  1600,  Bruce  went  to  Dieppe, 
where  he  remained  for  a  considerable  time.     We  next 
hear  of  him  when  the  King  succeeded  to  the  English 
crown  ;  he  was  then  in  Edinburgh.     In  1605  ne  was 
deposed   by  the   King's   authority  and    imprisoned  at 
Inverness,  where  he  was  confined  for  eight  years.     In 
1613  he  was  allowed  to  return  to  Kinnaird,  the  house  of 
his  youth,  but  was  not  permitted  to  leave  that  place. 
Being  an  influential  and  powerful  man,  his  movements 
were  watched  by  the   Episcopal  clergy.     Some   years 
afterwards,  or  in   1621,  when  the  Five  Articles  of  Perth 
were  being  discussed,  he  could  not  restrain  his  curiosity, 
and  he  visited    Edinburgh.     The    Episcopal    ministers 
complained  to  the  King,  and  Bruce  was  again  sent  to 
Inverness  gaol  to  endure  further  misery.     The  King 
never   forgave   him   for   his  scepticism  of  the  Gowrie 
Conspiracy.     He  remained  in  Inverness  prison  till  the 
death  of  the  King  in  1625,  when  he  was  released.     He 
preached  without  authority  in  several  of  the  churches  in 


1 6  IRo^al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

and  around  Edinburgh,  and  finally  he  went  to  Larbert 
and  preached  there  regularly,  that  place  having  neither 
minister  nor  stipend.  On  1 3th  August,  1631,  he  expired 
in  the  midst  of  his  family  just  after  he  had  uttered  the 
words  :  "  Now  God  be  with  you,  my  children ;  I  have 
breakfasted  with  you,  and  shall  sup  to-night  with  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ."  He  was  interred  at  Larbert,  and 
his  funeral  was  attended  by  upwards  of  4,000  persons 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  a  testimony  of  his  high 
position  in  the  estimation  of  the  people. 

On  ist  November,  1600,  the  posthumous  trial  of  the 
Earl  of  Cowrie  and  his  brother  took  place  in  Edinburgh. 
Their  bodies  were  transmitted  from  Perth  and  placed  at 
the  bar — an  appalling  spectacle.  On  the  1 5th  November 
sentence  was  pronounced  that  the  name,  memory  and 
dignity  of  Gowrie  and  his  brother  be  extinguished,  their 
arms  cancelled,  their  possessions  confiscated  to  the  King 
for  ever  ;  their  bodies  to  be  carried  to  the  Mercat  Cross 
of  Edinburgh,  and  there  hanged,  drawn  and  quartered, 
and  thereafter  affixed  to  the  most  public  places  of 
Edinburgh,  Perth,  Dundee  and  Stirling.  And  so  this 
infamous  tragedy  was  brought  to  a  conclusion,  and 
cannot  but  be  regarded  as  the  most  disgraceful  event 
which  marks  the  reign  of  James  VI. 

As  a  specimen  of  many  similar  incidents  which 
occurred  at  that  period  it  is  recorded  that  on  7th 
February,  1603,  four  hundred  of  the  Macgregors,  and 
some  others  burst  into  the  Lennox  district,  and  after  a 
desperate  struggle,  in  which  about  eighty  of  the  Lennox 
men  fell,  made  off  with  600  cattle,  800  sheep,  280  horses, 
and  such  other  booty  as  they  could  transport.  James 
pursued  the  Macgregors  with  relentless  hostility,  and 
it  is  recorded,  never  forgave  them  for  this  outrage.1 

The  next  outstanding  event  in  his  administration 
was  the  death  of  Queen  Elizabeth  at  the  close  of 
March,  1603,  an  event  that  he  had  long  been  waiting 
for,  as  the  English  crown  was  the  summit  of  his 
ambition,  and  his  financial  troubles  would  be  at  an 
1  Calderwood. 


JAMES   VI. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Van  Somers  ) 


To  face  p.  17 


1Ref0n  of  Sames  VI.  17 

end.  Before  her  death  she  nominated  James  to 
succeed  her,  and  on  5th  April,  surrounded  by  a  large 
and  brilliant  cavalcade  of  English  and  Scottish  noble- 
men and  gentlemen,  he  joyously  took  his  departure 
from  Edinburgh  to  London,  in  order  to  enter  on  duty 
as  King  of  England.  This  event  culminated  in  the 
union  of  the  crowns,  and  was  one  of  the  greatest 
epochs  in  the  history  of  the  country.  It  was  then  that 
Scotland  and  Ireland  became  parts  of  the  realm  of 
England,  afterwards  the  British  Empire.  Scotland 
retained  her  own  constitution  and  laws  ;  and  her 
tribunals  and  Parliaments  were  independent  of  West- 
minster. James's  English  administration  was  a  failure 
— in  short,  his  reign  was  anything  but  congenial  to  the 
English  people.  One  thing  they  abhorred  was  his 
weakness  for  ecclesiastical  discussions,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  other  and  more  important  matters  affecting 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  realm.  There  could 
not  have  been  a  greater  contrast  between  two  persons 
than  between  Elizabeth  and  James,  and  while  the  English 
people  neither  loved  the  one  nor  the  other,  it  must  be 
said  of  Elizabeth  that  she  could  govern,  but  James  could 
not.  James  on  his  way  to  London  issued  the  following 
proclamation  to  the  English  people  in  view  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  death : — 

Whereas  by  the  Almighty  Providence  of  God,  to  our 
great  sorrow  and  grief,  our  dearest  sister  of  famous 
memory,  Elizabeth,  late  Queen  of  England,  France 
and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  is  departed  this 
mortal  life.  By  whose  death  all  offices,  charges  and 
jurisdictions  are  ceased  and  expired,  within  the  whole 
bounds  of  her  dominions  ;  and  the  righteous  inher- 
itance of  her  Imperial  crown  is  established  in  our 
person  as  sole  heir  thereof ;  not  only  by  virtue  of  our 
undoubted  birthright  and  her  declaration  before  her 
decease,  but  also  by  the  willing  approbation  of  the 
Lords  spiritual  and  temporal,  and  whole  body  of  the 
said  realm.  Testifying  by  their  proclamations  of  our 

VOL.    II.  B 


1 8  iRopal  Tbovise  of  Stuart 

undoubted  right,  so  doth  it  belong  to  our  princely  care 
to  give  some  timely  remedy,  as  all  offices  and  charges 
so  wisely  planted  by  the  late  Queen,  and  worthily 
exercised  by  such  as  possessed  the  same,  be  no  longer 
destitute  of  careful  and  sufficient  ministers,  able  to 
administer  justice,  and  punish  and  repress  all  insolences 
which  such  an  alteration  might  stir  up  in  unruly  persons. 
It  is  our  will  that  the  high  sheriffs,  justices  of  the  peace, 
and  mayors,  sheriffs,  aldermen,  constables,  head  burghs 
and  other  officers  whatsoever,  great  or  small,  use, 
exercise  and  discharge  the  offices  in  the  same  manner 
and  form  as  they  did  before  her  decease ;  conforming 
all  privileges,  grants  to  any  officers  in  general,  or  in 
special  by  her ;  to  stand  in  such  full  strength,  sort  and 
value,  as  they  were  of  before,  till  such  time  as  our 
further  resolution  to  be  taken  by  us  with  the  advice  of 
our  council  of  London  be  published.  Given  at  Berwick 
the  eighth  of  April ;  of  our  reign  the  first  year. 

JAMES  R. 

Before  taking  her  departure  for  London  the  Queen 
proceeded  to  Stirling  to  bring  with  her  the  young 
Prince,  her  son,  who  was  there,  in  the  keeping  of  the 
Countess  of  Mar,  while  her  husband  was  at  Court  The 
Countess  refused  to  part  with  the  child  without  the 
authority  of  the  King,  and  the  Queen  became  so 
exasperated  that  she  fell  seriously  ill  and  gave 
premature  birth  to  a  child  at  Stirling  on  the  loth  May. 
On  the  1 2th  the  Earl  of  Mar  arrived  with  a  message 
from  the  King,  but  the  Queen  refused  to  see  him,  and 
requested  the  letters  from  the  King,  of  which  Mar  was  the 
bearer.  These  Mar  refused  to  deliver  up  unless  at  a 
personal  interview.  Both  parties  were  obstinate,  and 
both  wrote  the  King  desiring  his  pleasure  as  to  this 
unseemly  contest.  The  King  despatched  Lennox  to 
Stirling  with  orders  to  bring  with  him  to  London  both 
the  Queen  and  the  Prince.  On  the  Queen's  arrival  there 
a  stormy  interview,  it  is  said,  took  place  between  her  and 
the  King.  She  refused  to  be  reconciled  to  Mar,  but  at 


To  face  p.  18 


ANNE   OF  DENMARK. 
Queen  of  Scotland.     Wife  of  James  VI. 

(From  the  Portrait  by  Van  Somers  at  Hampton  Court.) 
(By  permission  of  George  Bell  &•  Sons, 


of  James  VI.  19 

the  instigation  of  the  Privy  Council,  she  saw  him  before 
the  coronation. 

Three  months  afterwards  the  auspicious  ceremony  of 
the  coronation  of  James  and  his  consort,  Queen  Anne 
took  place  at  Westminster  Abbey  on  the  2 5th  July 
and  is  detailed  at  length  in  the  Harleian  MSS.  The 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  officiated.  The  King  and 
Queen  having  taken  their  places,  the  people  were 
required  to  acknowledge  their  allegiance,  after  which 
the  King  and  Queen  descended  from  the  throne,  and 
going  to  the  altar,  there  offered  the  King  a  paule  and 
a  pound  of  gold,  the  Queen  offering  likewise.*  The 
sermon  was  by  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  after  which 
the  coronation  oath  was  administered  by  the  Archbishop. 
Then  was  sung  the  anthem,  "  Come,  Holy  Ghost."  * 
The  Archbishop  anointed  the  King  and  invested  him 
with  the  robes  of  King  Edward  the  Confessor,  viz., 
the  tunic,  the  Royal  hosen,  sandals,  spurs.  The  sword 
was  delivered  by  the  Archbishop,  and  girt  about  him  by 
a  peer ;  a  ring  was  put  on  the  third  finger  of  the  left 
hand,  after  which  the  King  went  to  the  altar  and  offered 
there  his  sword,  which,  being  offered,  one  of  the  peers 
having  redeemed  it  drew  it  and  held  it  so  drawn  before 
His  Majesty.  The  sceptre  was  then  delivered,  also  a 
rod  with  a  dove  to  be  borne  in  the  King's  left  hand.* 
The  King  was  enthroned  by  the  Archbishop,  after  which 
the  peers  did  homage,  all  touching  the  crown  on  the 
King's  head  as  promising  for  ever  to  support  it.  The 
Queen  then  came  to  the  steps  of  the  altar  and  knelt 
down.*  She  was  anointed  by  the  Archbishop,  who  put 
on  the  Queen's  ring  on  the  fourth  finger  of  her  left 
hand.*  He  then  put  the  crown  on  the  Queen's  head, 
and  the  sceptre  and  rod  in  her  right  hand,  the  ivory  rod 
and  dove  into  her  left  She  was  then  led  to  the  throne 
on  the  left  hand  of  the  King,  and  enthroned  there,  after 
which  the  Archbishop  celebrated  the  Communion  and 
repeated  the  Nicene  Creed.  The  King  and  Queen 
returned  to  the  chapel  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  where 
*  Then  a  prayer  offered  by  the  Archbishop. 


20  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

they  disrobed,  after  which  the  Archbishop  put  on  their 
Majesties'  heads  the  Imperial  crown  which  they  were 
instructed  to  wear,  and  the  proceedings  terminated  with 
the  benediction. 

The  union  of  the  crowns  gave  rise  to  a  debate  in  the 
English  Parliament  as  to  what  should  be  the  name  of 
the  new  kingdom.  "  Great  Britain  "  was  suggested,  and 
James  takes  credit  for  the  suggestion.  The  English  did 
not  regard  the  new  name  with  favour,  but  they  tacitly 
agreed  to  it,  and  thereafter,  in  1604,  the  King  issued 
a  proclamation  to  the  effect  that  "  as  our  Imperial 
monarchy  of  these  two  kingdoms  doth  comprehend  the 
whole  island,  so  it  shall  keep  in  all  ensuing  ages  the 
united  denomination  of  the  invincible  monarchy  of 
Great  Britain  ;  and  therefore,  by  the  force  of  our  Royal 
prerogative,  we  assume  to  ourselves  the  style  and  title 
of  King  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ireland,  Defender 
of  the  Faith,  as  our  just  and  lawful  style,  to  be  used  in 
all  proclamations,  treaties,  leagues,  etc.,  and  all  cases  of 
the  like  nature  in  time  coming ;  discharging  and  dis- 
continuing the  names  of  Scotland  and  England  to 
be  expressed  in  legal  proceedings,  instruments,  and 
assurances  of  particular  parties," 

Under  date  1st  May,  1604,  King  James  wrote  the 
following  characteristic  letter  respecting  the  union  of 
the  crowns,  to  the  House  of  Commons  : — 

You  see  with  what  clearness  and  sincerity  I 
have  behaved  myself  in  this  matter,  even  through 
all  the  progress  thereof,  though  I  will  not  say 
too  little  regarded  by  you,  but  I  may  justly  say 
not  so  willingly  embraced  by  you  as  the  importance 
of  the  matter  deserves  ;  I  protest  to  God,  the 
fruits  thereof  will  chiefly  tend  to  your  own  weal  and 
prosperity,  and  increase  of  strength  and  greatness. 
Nothing  can  stay  you  from  hearkening  to  it  but  jealousy 
and  distrust,  either  of  me,  the  propounder,  or  of  the 
matter  by  me  propounded ;  if  of  me,  then  ye  both  do 
me  and  yourselves  an  infinite  wrong,  my  conscience 
bearing  me  witness  that  I  never  deserved  the  contrary 


TRefatt  of  James  VI.  21 

at  your  hands.  But  if  your  distrust  be  of  the  matter 
itself,  then  distrust  you  nothing,  but  your  own  wisdom 
or  honesty  ;  for  as  I  have  given  over  wrangling  upon 
words  with  you,  so  crave  I  no  conclusion  to  be  taken  at 
this  time,  but  only  a  commission  that  it  may  be  disputed, 
considered,  and  reported  to  you  ;  and  then  will  ye  be 
your  own  cooks  to  dress  it  as  ye  list ;  so  that  as  I  have 
already  said,  since  the  conclusion  can  never  be  without 
your  own  assent  if  ye  be  true  to  yourselves ;  no  man 
can  deceive  you  in  it.  Let  not  yourselves,  therefore,  be 
transported  with  the  curiosity  of  a  few  giddy  heads,  for 
it  lies  with  you  now  to  make  the  choice,  either  by 
yielding  to  the  providence  of  God  and  embracing  that 
which  He  hath  cast  in  your  mouths,  to  procure  the 
prosperity  and  increase  of  greatness  to  me  and  mine, 
you  and  yours,  and  in  the  removal  of  that  partition-wall 
which  already,  by  God's  providence,  in  my  blood  is 
rent  asunder,  to  establish  my  throne  and  your  body 
politic  in  a  perpetual  and  flourishing  peace  ;  or  else 
contemning  God's  benefits  freely  offered  to  us,  to  spit 
and  blaspheme  in  His  face,  by  preferring  war  to  peace, 
trouble  to  quietness,  hatred  to  love,  weakness  to  great- 
ness, and  division  to  union  ;  to  sow  the  seeds  of  discord 
to  our  posterity,  to  dishonour  your  King,  to  make  both 
me  and  yourselves  a  proverb  of  reproach  in  the  mouths 
of  strangers  and  enemies  to  this  nation,  and  enviers 
of  my  greatness.  Our  next  work  is  to  take  up  new 
garrisons  for  the  borders,  and  to  make  new  fortifications 
there,  sed  meliora  spero.  I  hope  that  God,  in  this  choice 
of  yours,  will  not  suffer  you,  with  old  Adam,  to  choose 
the  worst,  and  so  procure  the  defacing  of  this  earthly 
Paradise.  But  by  the  contrary  that  He  shall  inspire  you 
so  as  with  the  second  Adam  ye  shall  create  peace,  and 
so  beautify  this  our  earthly  kingdom  as  it  may  represent 
and  be,  an  earnest  penny  unto  us,  of  eternal  peace, 
in  that  spiritual  kingdom  which  is  prepared  for  the 
perpetual  residence  of  all  His  chosen  children. 

JAMES  R.1 

1  This  is  a  specimen  of  the  King's  composition. 


22  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

On  3ist  July,  1604,  the  King  was  badly  in  want  of 
£20,  a  mysterious  circumstance,  and  he  sent  the  follow- 
ing weak-minded  and  pedantic  communication.appealing 
for  the  loan  to  his  friend,  Squire  William  Farringdon  : 

Trusty  and  well-beloved  ;  although  there  be  nothing 
more  against  our  mind  than  to  be  driven  into  any  cause 
that  may  give  our  subjects  the  least  doubt  of  our 
unwillingness  to  throw  any  burden  upon  them,  having 
already  published  by  speeches  and  writings  our  desire 
to  avoid  it  ;  yet  such  is  our  state  at  this  time  in  regard 
to  great  and  urgent  causes  fallen,  and  growing  daily 
upon  us  and  not  to  be  escaped.  As  we  shall  be  forced 
presently  to  disburse  greater  sums  of  money  than  it  is 
possible  for  us  to  provide,  by  ordinary  means,  or  to 
want  without  great  peril  and  prejudice.  No  man,  even 
of  indifferent  judgment,  can  either  plead  ignorance  how 
much  we  found  the  Crown  exhausted  by  the  accidents 
of  foreign  wars  and  inward  rebellion  ;  or  on  the  other 
hand,  doth  not  observe  the  visible  causes  of  our  daily 
expenses  ever  since  we  came  into  this  kingdom.  We 
think  it  needless  to  use  any  more  arguments  from  such 
a  King  to  his  subjects.  But  that  as  our  necessity  is  the 
only  cause  of  our  request,  so  your  love  and  duty  must 
be  the  chief  motive  of  your  ready  performance  of  the 
same.  To  which  we  may  further  add  one  thing,  which 
is  no  less  notorious  to  the  realm,  that  since  we  came  to 
this  estate,  no  means  or  extraordinary  help  has  been 
offered  us.notwithstanding  more  extraordinary  occasions 
of  large  expense,  one  falling  on  the  neck  of  another, 
without  time  or  respiration,  than  ever  lighted  upon  any 
King  of  this  realm.  A  matter  whereof  we  make  not 
mention  as  proceeding  from  the  coldness  of  our  people's 
affections,  of  whose  service  and  fidelity  we  have  had  so 
clear  proof.  You  shall  therefore  understand  that  in  this 
consideration,  and  in  respect  of  our  opinion  of  your 
good  mind  toward  us,  notwithstanding  the  omission  in 
the  former  time  to  repay  some  loan  because  of  unex- 
pected violent  necessity,  which  might  make  a  doubtful- 


1Ref0tt  of  James  VI.  23 

ness  what  promise  should  be  kept.  We  have  persuaded 
ourselves  that  you  will  no  way  measure  our  princely 
resolution  by  the  preceding  accidents,  nor  ever  doubt  us 
when  we  engage  our  word,  yet  never  broken,  to  any 
which  now  we  do  hereby  give  for  repayment  of  whatever 
the  Privy  Seal  shall  assure  you.  That  which  we  now 
require  is  that  within  twelve  days  of  the  receipt  hereof 
you  will  cause  the  sum  of  £20  to  be  delivered  to  James 
Anderson,  Esq.,  who  is  our  collector  in  the  county  of 
Lancaster — the  loan  to  be  until  the  24th  March,  1605. 
For  assurance  whereof  we  have  directed  these  our 
letters  to  you  which,  with  the  hand  of  our  collector 
acknowledging  receipt  of  £20,  shall  bind  us,  our  heirs 
and  successors,  for  repayment  thereof.  Given  under  our 
Privy  Seal  at  our  Palace  of  Westminster,  3ist  July, 
1604. 

James  was  two  and  a  half  years  in  England  when 
a  number  of  lawless  men  (Catholics)  negotiated  a  large 
scheme  to  blow  up  the  King  and  the  House  of  Lords. 
This  was  the  famous  Gunpowder  Plot.  It  was  an 
atrocious,  revolutionary  plot,  devised  by  a  few  Catholics 
to  blow  up  the  King,  Lords  and  Commons,  on  the 
meeting  of  Parliament,  5th  November,  1605.  The 
King  had  exercised  great  severities  against  the  Catholics 
by  denying  them  toleration  and  confiscating  their 
property.  This  plot  was  championed  by  Robert 
Catesby,  and  he  enlisted  in  the  scheme  Guy  Fawkes  as 
his  agent.  Several  others,  said  to  be  about  eighty 
Catholics,  were  connected  with  the  plot.  It  was  part 
of  the  scheme  to  murder  the  Duke  of  York,  Charles  I., 
and  seize  the  Princess  Elizabeth  and  proclaim  her 
Queen.  The  gunpowder  consisted  of  thirty-six  barrels, 
which  for  the  purpose  of  the  explosion  were  carefully 
arranged  in  a  cellar  under  the  House  of  Lords.  Every- 
thing having  been  deliberately  completed  for  the 
execution  of  the  diabolical  deed,  Fawkes  was  told  off 
by  his  confreres  to  set  fire  to  the  gunpowder,  after 
which  he  was  to  escape  to  Flanders.  Catholics  were 


24  TRosal  ibouse  of  Stuart 

warned  not  to  attend  Parliament  that  night.  Curiously 
enough,  an  anonymous  letter,  pointing  out  the  danger, 
found  its  way  to  the  King,  it  having  been  sent  first  to 
Lord  Monteagle,  ten  days  before  Parliament.  On  the 
previous  evening — 4th  November — inspired  doubtless  by 
this  letter,  the  Lord  Chancellor  and  Lord  Monteagle 
visited  the  Parliament  House,  and  seeing  an  unusual 
quantity  of  wood  piled  up  said  to  Fawkes,  who  was 
there,  that  his  master,  Percy,  had  laid  in  plenty  of  fuel. 
The  result  of  this  visit  was  that  a  little  after  midnight 
Fawkes  was  arrested  red-handed  coming  out  of  the 
cellar  dressed  as  for  a  journey  ;  this  prompt  arrest  saved 
a  dreadful  catastrophe. 

He  was  examined  and  tortured,  and  confessed  his 
guilt,  but  would  not  divulge  his  associates.  Afterwards, 
however,  by  application  of  the  rack,  he  disclosed  their 
names.  Fawkes  expressed  deep  regret  that  he  had 
lost  the  opportunity  of  firing  his  powder  at  once,  and 
of  sweetening  his  own  death  by  that  of  his  enemies. 
He  was  asked  by  a  nobleman  why  he  had  collected 
so  large  a  quantity  of  gunpowder,  to  which  he  replied  : 
"  To  blow  the  Scottish  beggars  back  to  their  native 
mountains."  The  conspirators  were  executed  so  far  as 
discovered,  and  the  Earl  of  Northumberland  was  fined 
in  ^30,000  and  put  in  the  Tower,  because  he  had 
admitted  Percy,  a  conspirator,  into  the  number  of 
gentlemen  pensioners  on  their  taking  the  requisite  oath- 
But  for  the  arrest  of  Fawkes  this  diabolical  plot  would 
doubtless  have  accomplished  its  purpose.  The  huge 
quantity  of  gunpowder  prevents  us  forming  any 
conception  as  to  what  the  consequences  of  such  an 
explosion  would  have  been. 

In  the  summer  of  1605  the  Government  took  steps 
to  secure  peace  in  the  Western  Isles ;  Lord  Scone, 
Controller  of  Scotland,  was  the  official  appointed  to 
carry  it  out.  Part  of  the  scheme  was  the  appointment 
of  Argyll  as  justiciar  and  lieutenant  of  that  part  of  the 
kingdom,  and  he  became  responsible  for  good  order 
amongst  the  clansmen.  For  his  services,  Argyll 


1Ref0n  of  James  VI.  25 

received  a  donation  of  Crown  lands  in  Kintyre  and 
the  Isles  for  a  nominal  rent,  which  lands  that  family 
hold  to  this  day.  The  position  was  one  of  great 
difficulty  for  Argyll,  and  he  only  held  office  for  six 
months.  Lord  Scone  was  in  June  directed  to  proceed 
to  Campbeltown  to  collect  rents,  and  to  receive  the 
submission  of  the  principal  clans.  Should  any  of  them 
disobey  his  proclamation,  their  title-deeds  were  to  be 
declared  null  and  void,  and  they  were  to  be  pursued 
with  fire  and  sword.  A  band  of  troops  with  forty  days 
provisions  were  ordered  to  support  Lord  Scone.  In 
August  Lord  Scone  got  a  new  commission  with  greater 
powers,  when  in  the  following  month  he  held  his  Court 
in  Kintyre,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  the  clans  obeyed 
his  summons,  nor  does  it  appear  that  he  was  able  to 
compel  the  attendance  of  the  more  distant  chiefs.  In 
1606  the  Privy  Council  appointed  a  committee  of  its 
members  to  meet  Lord  Scone,  and  hear  the  offers  made 
through  him  by  the  southern  islanders  for  their  obedience 
and  for  the  more  sure  payment  of  the  King's  rents. 
The  result  was  unfavourable.  In  1607  the  King  granted 
a  charter  to  Argyll  of  lands  in  Kintyre  and  in  the 
island  of  Jura,  which  belonged  to  and  were  forfeited  by 
Angus  Macdonald. 

It  seemed  impossible  to  pacify  the  chiefs  and  their 
followers,  and  an  ingenious  scheme  was  adopted.  Troops 
arrived  in  Mull  in  August,  1608,  under  Andrew  Stewart, 
Lord  Ochiltree,  the  new  lieutenant  of  the  Isles, 
accompanied  by  Andrew  Knox,  bishop  of  the  Isles. 
The  chiefs  assembled  in  great  numbers,  and  were  by 
the  bishop  invited  on  board  his  ship  to  hear  the 
sermon.  They  came,  heard  the  sermon,  and  were 
entertained  to  dinner.  With  this  precious  freight  on 
board,  Ochiltree  sailed  to  Ayr,  and  the  entrapped 
chieftains  were  conveyed  to  the  prisons  of  Dumbarton, 
Stirling  and  Blackness.  This  ingenious  plot  of 
Ochiltree  certainly  for  the  moment  restored  peace  in 
the  Western  Isles. 

In  July,  1606,  a  Parliament  met  at  Perth,  which  gave 


26  TCosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


James  satisfaction.  By  one  of  its  acts  it  declared  that 
his  prerogative  extended  over  all  estates,  persons  and 
causes  whatsoever.  Another  act  rescinded  the  measure 
of  1587  fatal  to  Episcopacy  in  Scotland,  which  had 
annexed  all  ecclesiastical  property  to  the  Crown.  On 
the  pretext  that  he  wished  to  confer  with  the  clergy 
on  the  affairs  of  the  Church,  he  summoned  eight  of  the 
leading  ministers,  including  Andrew  and  James  Melville, 
to  England.  These  men  went  in  August.  None  of 
them  gave  satisfaction  on  the  points  James  had  most 
at  heart.  After  a  delay  of  eight  months,  six  of  the 
ministers  were  allowed  to  return  to  Scotland,  the 
Melvilles  excluded.  James  Melville  remained  an  exile 
in  England  till  his  death.  For  dissenting  from  the 
King  on  points  of  Church  government,  and  for  writing 
an  epigram  on  the  Catholic  tendencies  of  the  English 
Church,  Andrew  Melville  was  confined  in  the  Tower 
of  London  for  three  years,  after  which  he  was  sent  as 
an  exile  to  the  College  of  Sedan  in  France.  Six  other 
leading  ministers,  who  were  under  sentence  of  high 
treason,  were  in  October,  1606,  put  on  board  a  ship  at 
Leith,  which  was  to  bear  them  to  lifelong  exile.1 

In  the  year  1607,  we  have  the  records  of  some 
extraordinary  proceedings  in  the  Ecclesiastical  Courts. 
The  subject  of  debate  was  what  is  known  as  the  ex 
officio  "  Constant  Moderator."  This  was  an  order  of  the 
King  to  Presbyteries  to  appoint  such  an  official  who 
was  to  be  chosen  from  the  Moderators  of  the  Synod, 
and  when  once  appointed  was  to  hold  office  ad  vitam 
aut  culpam.  This  was  regarded  as  a  tyrannical 
ordinance  of  the  King,  and  as  the  clergy  were  not 
consulted  they  resolved  to  disregard  it.  The  Rev. 
Alexander  Lindsay  was  ordained  by  the  King  and 
Privy  Council  to  be  the  Constant  Moderator  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Perth.  But  the  record  says  "the  lords 
of  the  Secret  Council  have  been  informed  that  the 
Synod  has  instructed  the  Presbytery  of  Perth  to 
discharge  Lindsay  from  the  office  and  nominate 
1  Calderwood's  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


1Rei0n  of  Sames  VI.  27 

another.  .  .  .  The  lords  ordain  the  Presbytery  to 
acknowledge  and  obey  Lindsay,  and  not  to  presume 
or  take  upon  themselves  any  other  nomination ;  or 
discharge  Lindsay  under  pain  of  rebellion ;  and  to 
prohibit  the  other  members  from  accepting  the 
Moderatorship."  The  clergy  resented  this  arbitrary 
dictatorship,  and  so  far  from  obeying  the  King,  were 
more  determined  than  ever  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  Constant  Moderator.  The  Synod  met  on  8th  April, 
in  Perth — William  Ross,  Moderator.  Lord  Scone,  the 
King's  commissioner,  presented  his  commission,  but  the 
Synod  refused  to  hear  it  read.  Lord  Scone  would  not 
allow  them  to  proceed  with  business.  The  Synod 
requested  him  to  take  advice,  and  dissolved  the  meeting. 
Next  day,  on  the  assembling  of  the  Synod,  Lord  Scone 
again  appeared,  and  intimated  that  he  would  discharge 
the  Synod  as  he  had  the  power  to  do  so.  His  com- 
mission was  then  read.  The  Synod  resolved  that  they 
would  elect  their  Moderator  as  formerly.  At  this 
Lord  Scone  exclaimed  that  the  magistrates  must 
remove  them.  They  charged  him,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whose  authority  they  were  con- 
vened, not  to  trouble  the  meeting.  But  he  responded : 
"  There  is  no  Jesus  Christ  here."  Calderwood's  version : 
"The  devil  a  Jesus  Christ  is  here."  The  Moderator: 
"  Cease,  my  lord,  we  will  not  be  prevented  by  violence 
from  the  doing  of  our  office  under  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
Livingstone,  the  new  Moderator,  was  then  chosen,  when 
Lord  Scone  tried  to  put  him  out  of  the  chair  by  sitting 
down  in  it  himself.  The  Synod  then  engaged  in  prayer, 
but  his  lordship  disturbed  them,  endeavouring  to 
overthrow  the  table  upon  them,  and  asked  that  the 
magistrates  be  sent  for.  The  magistrates  arrived  upon 
the  scene,  and  Lord  Scone  commanded  them  to  ring 
the  common  bell  and  remove  the  rebels.  The  magis- 
trates said  they  could  not  do  so  without  the  authority 
of  the  Council,  which  they  would  go  and  convene,  but 
they  never  returned.  The  Synod  proceeded  according 
to  order  and  removed  the  Presbytery  of  Perth  forth  for 


28  iRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

trial.  Lord  Scone  shut  the  door  and  locked  them  out ; 
but  they  getting  access  to  a  loft  or  gallery,  signified  to 
their  brethren  their  presence  from  that  place.  The 
Synod  proceeded  with  the  trial  till  nine  p.m.,  appointing 
to  meet  again  in  ten  hours.  Returning  at  that  time 
they  found  the  doors  shut.  The  magistrates  came  and 
informed  them  that  Lord  Scone  had  done  so  and  taken 
the  keys  with  him.  They  therefore  resolved  to  sit  at 
the  kirk  door,  and  amid  silence  the  meeting  was  opened 
with  prayer.  The  Synod  instructed  the  Presbytery  to 
cancel  the  appointment  of  Alexander  Lindsay  as  "  Con- 
stant Moderator"  and  choose  another;  the  Synod  at 
the  same  time  disregarding  an  order  of  the  King, 
through  Lord  Scone,  to  nominate  a  Constant  Moderator 
for  Auchterarder  Presbytery.  These  extraordinary 
proceedings  created  great  excitement  all  over  the 
country,  and  the  clergy  were  commended  for  the  firm 
and  determined  position  they  had  taken  up.  It  would 
appear  that  the  lords  of  the  Privy  Council  prohibited 
the  Presbytery  from  appointing  anyone  but  Lindsay. 
Next  presbytery  day,  Lindsay,  accompanied  by  the 
bishop  of  Dunblane  and  the  ministers  of  Abernethy 
and  Kinnoull,  met  in  the  kirk,  but  none  of  the 
Presbytery  convened  with  them.  The  Rev.  William 
Ross,  in  his  sermon,  behaved  seditiously,  and  stirred 
up  his  brethren  not  to  obey  the  orders  of  the  King's 
commissioner.  His  sermon  lasted  four  hours.  The 
Privy  Council  ordained  Ross  to  be  imprisoned  in 
Blackness  Castle,  there  to  remain  at  his  own  expense 
during  the  King's  pleasure.  Livingstone,  for  accepting 
the  Moderatorship,  was  imprisoned  within  his  own 
parish  of  Stirling  and  prohibited  from  preaching  outside 
his  pulpit,  or  from  attending  the  Presbytery  or  Synod, 
during  the  King's  pleasure.  This  matter,  which  was  an 
attempt  to  force  Episcopacy  on  Presbyterian  ministers, 
stamped  the  King  as  an  arrogant  and  impracticable 
ruler,  with  no  consideration  for  the  feelings  and  opinions 
of  others. 

In  February,  1610,  James  imposed  on  Scotland  two 


IReign  ot  James  VI.  29 

courts  of  High  Commission  for  the  punishment  of 
ecclesiastical  offences.  There  were  then  eleven  bishops 
and  two  archbishops  in  Scotland.  Each  of  these  courts 
was  to  have  an  archbishop  for  its  president,  and  was  to 
consist  of  clergy  and  laity.  All  the  lieges  were  to  be 
subject  to  its  jurisdiction.  Offences  in  life  or  religion 
were  to  be  its  special  province,  and  fines  and  imprison- 
ment the  means  of  enforcing  its  authority.  By  its  act 
of  1 592,  Parliament  had  declared  Presbyterianism  to  be 
the  polity  or  constitution  of  the  Scottish  Church ;  by 
Parliament,  therefore,  this  act  must  be  undone.  The 
Parliament  of  1612  ratified  the  act  of  the  Glasgow 
assembly  in  favour  of  Episcopacy,  and  even  contrived 
to  extend  the  Episcopal  jurisdiction  in  the  process.1 
But  for  the  tyranny  of  James,  the  future  of  Presbytery 
and  Episcopacy  in  Scotland  would  have  been  widely 
different  from  what  it  has  actually  been. 

The  trial  of  Robert,  sixth  Lord  Crichton  of 
Sanquhar,  took  place  in  Westminster  Hall  on  2/th 
June,  1612.  He  had  been  engaged  in  a  trial  of  skill 
with  John  Turner,  a  fencing  master,  when  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  get  his  eye  put  out.  He  was  charged 
with  the  murder  of  Turner,  whom  he  caused  to  be  shot 
by  means  of  two  men  specially  hired.  Crichton  fled, 
and  a  reward  of  ,£1,000  was  offered  for  his  capture. 
He  was  arrested,  tried,  found  guilty,  and  executed  on 
29th  June,  in  the  palace-yard,  Westminster  ;  and  the  two 
men  who  shot  Turner  were  executed  the  same  morning 
in  Fleet  Street.  The  Archbishop  pled  for  Crichton's 
life,  but  in  vain.  Crichton  made  a  long  speech  on 
the  scaffold,  defending  himself;  he  is  said  to  have 
been  a  Catholic,  and  a  man  of  great  courage  and  wit, 
and  endowed  with  many  accomplishments.  He  was 
admired  for  his  heroic  deeds,  and  his  untimely  end 
created  disapprobation  at  the  time. 

Prince  Henry,  the  King's  eldest  son,  died   in  1612, 
in  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  age,  to  the  deep  regret 
of  the  nation.     He  was  a  young  man  of  high  principle, 
1  Acts  of  the  Scottish  Parliament. 


3o  IRopal  fbouse  of  Stuart 

and  of  unblemished  character.  He  possessed  more 
dignity  in  his  behaviour,  and  commanded  more  respect, 
than  his  father.  Neither  his  high  position  nor  his  youth 
had  in  any  way  seduced  him.  Business  and  ambition 
were  his  strong  points ;  had  his  life  been  spared,  he 
would  have  been  a  highly  capable  ruler. 

The  King  paid  a  visit  to  Scotland  on  I3th  May,  1617, 
and  remained  three  months.  This  period  was  greatly 
occupied  in  State  receptions  and  pageants  of  such  kind 
as  Scotland  could  afford.  James  was  accompanied  by 
Archbishop  Laud.  The  English  or  Episcopal  service 
was  observed  at  Holyrood,  when  the  leading  officials, 
by  his  orders,  took  the  Sacrament  in  a  kneeling  posture. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Estates  in  July,  a  bill  was' passed 
providing  that  in  external  matters  of  Church  policy  the 
King's  decisions,  taken  in  council  with  the  bishops, 
should  have  the  full  force  of  law,  the  bishops  adding, 
"  With  a  competent  number  of  the  ministry."  It  would 
appear  that  fifty-five  ministers  protested  against  this,  and 
presented  the  protest  to  the  King,  when  he  reluctantly 
and  with  a  bad  grace  gave  in.  At  St.  Andrews,  on  1 3th 
July,  he  held  a  clerical  convention,  at  which  the  arch- 
bishop, bishops,  and  twenty-six  ministers  were  present. 
He  then  submitted  the  Five  Articles  of  which  Spottis- 
woode  had  given  him  warning,  while  the  convention 
decided  that  the  General  Assembly  only  was  competent 
to  deal  with  them.  At  Perth,  in  August,  1618,  the 
General  Assembly  sanctioned  the  Five  Articles,  after- 
wards called  the  Five  Articles  of  Perth,  which  were 
imposed  on  the  nation  by  the  will  of  the  King,  and 
this  was  the  origin  of  the  controversy  which  went  on 
in  the  reign  of  Charles  I. 

These  Articles  were — (i)  Kneeling  when  receiving  the 
Communion ;  (2)  Administration  of  the  Communion  to 
sick,  dying,  or  infirm  persons  in  their  houses  in  cases  of 
necessity ;  (3)  Administration  of  baptism  in  private,  in 
similar  circumstances;  (4)  Confirmation  of  the  young  by 
the  bishop  of  the  diocese ;  (5)  The  observance  of  the 
five  great  commemorations  of  the  Christian  Church — 


of  Barnes  VI.  31 

the  birth,  passion,  resurrection,  ascension,  and  sending 
down  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  On  2ist  October,  these  were 
ratified  by  the  Privy  Council.  The  meeting  of  the 
Estates  which  sanctioned  these  Articles  was  held  on 
4th  August,  1621.  This  was  called  the  Black  Parlia- 
ment, because  of  a  fearful  tempest  of  rain  which  took 
place  during  its  sittings,  accompanied  with  thunder, 
lightning  and  darkness.  By  a  majority  of  85  to 
57  the  Estates  passed  the  Articles.  As  the  com- 
missioner touched  the  acts  with  the  sceptre,  three 
brilliant  flashes  of  lightning,  each  followed  by  a  terrific 
peal  of  thunder,  lit  up  the  chamber,  which  had  been 
in  darkness,  and  was  presently  in  darkness  again.  The 
effect  of  these  Articles  becoming  law  was,  that  in 
Edinburgh  the  churches  were  deserted  ;  the  citizens 
assembled  in  conventicles,  and  worshipped  with 
ministers  in  the  neighbourhood  who  were  of  their 
own  way  of  thinking.  The  Five  Articles  of  Perth 
were  cancelled  by  the  General  Assembly  at  Glasgow 
in  1638. 

At  this  visit  the  King  ordered  all  the  professors  of 
Edinburgh  University  to  meet  him  at  the  Chapel 
Royal,  Stirling,  where  a  great  debate  took  place  in 
presence  of  many  learned  men  and  English  and 
Scottish  nobility.  The  King,  who  presided,  entered 
the  lists  with  the  debaters,  and  not  satisfied  with  the 
distinction  of  at  least  appearing  to  be  victor  in 
every  encounter,  still  further  displayed  his  skill  by 
alternately  attacking  and  defending  the  same  proposi- 
tions. At  the  close  of  the  debate  he  retired  to  supper, 
but  he  afterwards  sent  for  the  professors  and  talked  to 
them  at  great  length  on  the  various  subjects  of  the 
debate.  He  then  complimented  the  debaters  individu- 
ally on  the  manner  in  which  each  had  acquitted  himself. 
These  remarks,  which  were  meant  to  be  witty,  were 
mixed  up  with  a  series  of  puns  on  the  names  of  the 
professors ;  and  however  they  might  be  regarded  by 
these  learned  men,  he  was  himself  so  delighted  that  he 
ordered  them  to  be  rendered  into  Latin  and  English 


32  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

verse.  He  further  showed  his  respect  for  the  professors 
by  announcing  himself  a  patron  of  the  Edinburgh 
University,  giving  it  the  designation  of  King  James's 
College,  and  ordering  his  name  to  be  placed  over  the 
gates.1 

A  session  of  Parliament  took  place  during  this  visit, 
which  passed  an  act  for  the  restoration  of  the  Dean 
and  Chapter  of  each  See  and  for  the  restoration 
of  the  temporalities  of  the  deaneries,  canonries  and 
prebends  so  far  as  these  could  be  restored.  Another 
act  was  passed  called  "  Anent  the  plantation  of  Kirks." 
This  act  is  well  known  in  ecclesiastical  circles.  Its 
preamble  says :  "  There  be  divers  kirks  within  this 
kingdom  not  planted  with  ministers,  where  ignorance 
and  atheism  abound  among  the  people ;  many  of  those 
that  are  planted  have  no  sufficient  provision  nor 
maintenance  appointed  to  them,  whereby  the  ministers 
are  kept  in  poverty  and  contempt,  and  cannot  fruitfully 
travel  in  their  charges."  2 

The  trial  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  at  Westminster  on 
1 7th  November,  1603,  for  high  treason  was  a  disgraceful 
event  in  the  reign  of  James.  He  was  charged,  along 
with  Lord  Cobham,  of  conspiring  against  the  King's  life 
in  order  to  put  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  daughter  of  the 
Earl  of  Lennox,  and  niece  of  Queen  Mary,  on  the 
throne.  Raleigh  was  convicted  on  the  testimony  of 
Cobham,  a  single  witness,  and  condemned  to  be 
executed.  Sir  Edward  Coke,  Attorney-General,  con- 
ducted the  case  like  an  infuriated  wild  beast,  and 
undoubtedly  influenced  the  jury  in  coming  to  a  false 
decision.  He  called  Raleigh  "a  damnable  atheist,  a 
spider  of  hell,  a  viperous  traitor."  Apart  from  Cobham's 
false  evidence,  there  was  not  a  vestige  of  proof  against 
Raleigh.  After  the  sentence  was  delivered  the  King 
commuted  it  into  imprisonment  during  the  King's 
pleasure.  Raleigh  lay  in  the  Tower  a  prisoner  for 
fourteen  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  period  he  fell  on 
an  ingenious  attempt  to  get  out  by  suggesting  to  the 
1  Calderwood.  2  Acts  of  Scot.  Par. 


of  James  VI.  33 

King  that  there  was  a  gold  mine  in  Guiana,  South 
America,  in  which  he  was  interested,  and  if  he  was 
permitted  to  go  there  he  would  enrich  both  himself  and 
the  King.  The  King,  always  "  hard  up,"  permitted  him 
to  go  in  search  of  this  El  Dorado  and  to  champion  an 
expedition  for  the  purpose.  The  affair  turned  out  a 
myth,  and  Raleigh  on  his  return  was  again  thrown  into 
the  Tower.  There  being  much  difficulty  as  to  the 
mode  of  proceeding  against  him,  the  Lord  Chancellor 
assembled  all  the  judges  of  York  House  and  conferred 
with  them  in  an  opinion  that  Raleigh,  being  attainted 
for  high  treason,  could  not  be  drawn  into  questions, 
judicially,  for  any  crime  or  offence  since  committed, 
recommending  either  that  a  warrant  should  be  sent 
to  the  Tower  for  his  immediate  execution,  under  the 
former  sentence ;  or  whether  the  Lords  of  the  Council 
and  judges  should  not  give  their  advice  whether  in 
respect  of  these  offences  the  King  might  not  with 
justice  give  warrant  for  his  execution  on  his  attainder. 
This  course  was  adopted.  Raleigh  was  again  brought 
up  for  trial,  and  Coke,  the  former  Attorney- General  and 
Raleigh's  enemy,  was  now  promoted  to  be  Lord  Chief 
Justice.  In  giving  judgment  he  said,  towards  the  close 
of  a  hypocritical  speech :  "  I  am  here  called  to  grant 
execution  upon  the  judgment  given  you  fifteen  years 
since  ;  all  which  time  you  have  been  a  dead  man  to  the 
law,  and  might  at  any  moment  have  been  cut  off,  but 
the  King  in  mercy  spared  you.  You  might  think  it 
heavy  if  this  were  done  in  cold  blood  to  call  you  to 
execution,  but  it  is  not  so.  ...  I  know  you  have  been 
valiant  and  wise,  and  I  doubt  not  that  you  retain  both 
these  virtues,  for  now  you  shall  have  occasion  to  use 
them.  .  .  .  Fear  not  death  too  much,  nor  fear  not 
death  too  little  ;  not  too  much  lest  you  fail  in  your 
hopes ;  not  too  little  lest  you  die  presumptuously  ;  and 
may  God  have  mercy  on  your  soul."  Lord  Campbell 
adds  that  the  trial  of  Raleigh  reflected  lasting  disgrace 
on  the  King  and  his  counsellors.  Raleigh  was  executed 
on  29th  October,  1618. 
VOL.  n.  c 


34  tRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  to  the  King  the  night  before 
execution :— The  life  which  I  had,  most  mighty  Prince, 
the  law  has  taken  from  me,  and  I  am  but  the  same 
earth  and  dust  out  of  which  I  was  made.  If  my  offence 
had  any  proportion  with  your  Majesty's  mercy  I  might 
despair  ;  or  if  my  deserving  had  any  quantity  with  your 
immeasurable  goodness  I  might  yet  have  hope  ;  but  it 
is  you  that  must  judge,  not  I.  Name,  blood,  gentility, 
or  estate  I  have  none ;  no,  not  so  much  as  a  being  ; 
no,  not  so  much  as  a  vitam  planta;  I  have  only  a 
penitent  soul  in  a  body  of  iron,  which  unveils  towards 
the  loadstone  of  death,  and  cannot  be  withheld  from 
touching  it,  except  your  Majesty  may  turn  the  point 
towards  me  that  expelleth.  .  .  But  God  hath  laid  this 
heavy  burden  upon  me,  miserable  and  unfortunate 
wretch  that  I  am.  But  for  not  loving  you  God  hath 
laid  this  sorrow  on  me,  for  He  knows  that  I  honoured 
your  Majesty  by  fame  and  love,  and  admired  you  by 
knowledge,  so  that  whether  I  live  or  die,  your  Majesty's 
loving  servant  I  will  live  and  die.  .  .  .  The  more  my  misery 
is  the  more  is  your  Majesty's  mercy,  and  the  less  I  can 
deserve  the  more  liberal  your  gift  shall  be.  This  being 
the  first  letter  that  ever  you  received  from  a  dead  man, 
I  humbly  submit  myself  to  the  will  of  God,  my  supreme 
Lord,  and  shall  willingly  and  patiently  suffer  whatever 
it  shall  please  your  Majesty  to  afflict  me  withal. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  his  wife : — You  shall  now 
receive,  my  dear  wife,  my  last  words  in  these  my  last 
lines.  My  love  I  send  you  that  you  may  keep  it  when 
I  am  dead  ;  and  my  counsel  that  you  may  remember  it 
when  I  am  no  more.  I  would  not,  by  my  will,  present 
you  with  sorrows  ;  let  them  go  into  the  grave  with  me 
and  be  buried  in  the  dust.  And  that  it  is  not  God's 
will  that  I  should  see  you  any  more  in  this  life,  bear  it 
patiently,  and  with  a  heart  like  thyself.  I  beseech  you, 
for  the  love  you  bore  me  living,  do  not  hide  yourself 
many  days,  but  by  your  travels  seek  to  help  your 
miserable  fortunes  and  the  right  of  your  poor  child. 
Thy  mourning  cannot  avail,  as  I  am  but  dust.  I  trust 


1Ref0n  of  Sames  VI.  35 

my  blood  will  quench  their  malice  who  have  cruelly 
murdered  me,  and  that  they  will  not  seek  also  to  kill 
thee  with  extreme  poverty.  To  what  friend  to  direct 
thee  I  know  not,  for  all  mine  have  left  me  in  the  time 
of  trial ;  and  I  perceive  that  my  death  was  determined 
on  from  the  first  day.  I  meant  to  have  left  you  all  my 
office  of  wines,  or  all  that  I  could  have  purchased  by 
selling  it ;  but  God  hath  prevented  all  my  resolutions, 
that  great  God  who  ruleth  all  in  all ;  but  if  you  can 
live  free  from  want,  care  for  no  more,  the  rest  is  but 
vanity.  Love  God,  and  begin  betimes  to  repose  your- 
self on  Him.  Teach  your  son  also  to  live  for  Him  whilst 
he  is  yet  young,  that  the  fear  of  God  may  grow  upon 
him.  Take  heed  of  the  pretences  of  men  and  their 
affections,  for  they  last  not  but  in  honest  and  worthy 
men,  and  no  greater  misery  can  befal  you  in  this  life 
than  to  become  a  prey,  and  afterwards  to  be  despised.  .  .  . 
As  for  me,  I  am  no  more  yours  nor  you  mine ;  death 
hath  cut  us  asunder,  and  God  hath  divided  me  from  the 
world  and  you  from  me.  Bury  my  dead  body,  which 
living  was  denied  thee,  and  either  lay  it  at  Steelburn  or 
Exeter  church,  by  my  father  and  mother.  I  can  say 
no  more ;  time  and  death  call  me  away  ;  the  everlasting, 
powerful,  infinite  and  omnipotent  God,  that  Almighty 
God  who  is  goodness  itself,  the  true  life  and  true  light", 
keep  thee,  and  have  mercy  on  me,  and  teach  me  to  forgive 
my  persecutors  and  accusers,  and  appoint  me  to  meet 
in  His  glorious  kingdom.  Farewell !  Pray  for  me,  and 
let  my  good  God  hold  you  in  His  arms.  Written  with 
the  dying  hand  of  sometime  thy  husband,  but  now, 
alas,  overthrown.  WALTER  RALEIGH. 

Bacon,  the  Lord  Chancellor,  was  severely  censured 
by  his  contemporaries  for  acquiescing  in  Raleigh's 
execution.  He  thought  to  have  resisted  the  outrage 
of  executing  a  man  under  a  sentence  pronounced  nearly 
sixteen  years  before,  and  who  latterly  had  been  entrusted 
with  supreme  power  over  the  lives  of  others.1 
1  Campbell's  Lives  of  the  Chancellors. 


36  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

We  are  informed  that  the  only  rational  motive 
assigned  for  the  cruel  treatment  of  Arabella  Stuart, 
a  captive  in  the  Tower  of  London,  by  the  Governor, 
Sir  William  Wade,  was  that  she  had  allowed  herself  to 
be  put  forward  as  a  claimant  for  the  English  throne, 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  being  responsible  for  inciting  her 
to  this  step.  The  King's  love  of  buffoonery  never 
deserted  him  even  when  age  and  vexation  were 
pressing  hard  upon  him.  But  what  he  most  delighted 
in  was  any  burlesque,  however  caricatured  on  the 
incidents  of  real  life,  the  more  ridiculous  the  more 
it  pleased  him.  The  Earl  of  Buckingham  was  con- 
nected with  rather  a  humorous  incident : — A  young 
lady  on  one  occasion  was  introduced  to  the  King, 
carrying  in  her  arms  a  pig  in  the  dress  of  an  infant, 
which  the  Countess  of  Buckingham  presented  to  the 
King  in  a  rich  mantle  ;  one  Turpin,  dressed  like  a 
bishop,  in  a  satin  gown,  lawn  sleeves  and  the  usual 
pontifical  ornaments,  commenced  reading  the  ceremony 
of  baptism  from  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  while  an 
assistant  stood  ready  with  a  silver  ewer  filled  with 
water.  The  King,  to  whom  the  joke  was  intended  to 
convey  a  pleasing  surprise,  hearing  the  pig  suddenly 
squeak,  looked  more  closely  about  him  and  recognised 
Buckingham,  who  was  intended  to  personify  the  god- 
father. "  Away,  for  shame ! "  cried  the  King.  "  What 
blasphemy  is  this?"  extremely  indignant  at  the  trick 
which  had  been  imposed  upon  him.1 

James  VI.  died  on  2/th  March,  1625,  in  his  fiftieth 
year,  having  reigned  over  England  twenty-two  years 
and  in  Scotland  nearly  all  his  life.  He  was  interred 
on  7th  May  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

There  has  been  some  controversy  as  to  whether 
James  died  from  the  effects  of  poison.  It  is  recorded 
that  Dr.  Eglisham,  one  of  his  physicians,  fled  to 
Brussels  to  escape  trouble  for  some  expressions  he 
had  used  about  the  King's  death.  At  Brussels  he 
published  a  book  to  prove  that  James  was  poisoned, 
1  England  under  the  Stuarts. 


of  James  VI.  37 

and  charging  the  death  to  Buckingham  and  his  mother. 
It  is  stated  that  the  King  being  sick  with  ague,  the 
Duke  took  the  opportunity  when  the  doctors  were  at 
dinner  to  offer  and  press  the  King  to  take  a  white 
powder,  which  the  King  reluctantly  took  in  wine  after 
much  importunity.  He  immediately  became  worse, 
suffered  paroxysms  of  pain,  and  cried  out :  "  Would 
to  God  I  had  never  taken  it."  The  Countess  applied 
a  plaster  to  the  King's  heart  and  breast.  The 
physicians,  when  they  returned  to  the  room,  exclaimed 
that  the  King  was  poisoned.  A  charge  was  made 
against  Buckingham  in  Parliament,  but  for  want  of 
proof  it  evidently  fell  through.  Eglisham  said  that 
neither  he  nor  any  other  physician  could  tell  what 
the  drug  was.1 

Epitaph  on  Sir  Philip  Sidney  by  James : — 

When  Venus  saw  the  noble  Sidney  dying, 
She  thought  it  her  beloved  Mars  had  been  ; 

And  with  the  thought  thereof  she  fell  a-crying, 
And  cast  away  her  rings  and  carknets  clean. 

He  that  in  death  a  goddess  mock'd  and  grieved, 

What  had  he  done  (trow  you)  if  he  had  lived. 

In  all  history,  says  a  historian,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  find  a  reign  less  illustrious  yet  more  unspotted  and 
unblemished  than  that  of  James  in  both  kingdoms.2 
That  his  generosity  bordered,  as  has  been  said,  on 
profusion,  his  learning  on  pedantry,  his  pacific  dis- 
position on  pusillanimity,  his  wisdom  on  cunning,  his 
friendship  on  light  fancy  and  boyish  fondness,  is 
generally  admitted.  Of  political  courage  and  personal 
bravery  he  was  destitute.  From  the  narrative  we  have 
given,  his  character  may  be  fairly  estimated.  He  had 
a  long  and  prosperous  reign,  notwithstanding  the  in- 
terminable quarrels  which  constantly  surrounded  him. 
Unlike  his  predecessors,  he  never  engaged  in  war.  It 
was  well,  for  he  was  wanting  in  those  qualities  which 
constitute  a  military  ruler.  His  reign,  however,  was 
1  Harleian  MSS.  2  Hume. 


33  IRosal  Tbouse  of  Stuart 

full  of  important  and  startling  events,  which  began  with 
his  baptism  and  his  extraordinary  coronation,  and 
ended  with  the  disgraceful  execution  of  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh.  The  fall  of  the  Regent  Morton,  one  of  the 
great  events  of  his  reign,  was  an  ably  carried  out 
scheme,  and  removed  from  the  realm  the  greatest 
enemy  to  the  throne.  This  was  followed  some  time 
after  by  the  execution  of  the  first  Earl  of  Gowrie,  an 
event  that  was  called  for  in  securing  the  peace  of  the 
nation.  The  King  had  a  powerful  minister  in  the 
Earl  of  Arran.  He  was  a  man  of  action  and  a 
courageous  man ;  and  while  he  had  many  faults,  he 
contributed  much  to  the  success  of  James's  administra- 
tion during  his  too  short  tenure  of  office.  Without  him 
the  Regent  Morton  would  never  have  been  removed. 

The  assassination  of  the  Earl  of  Moray  in  1590  by 
Huntly,  on  the  pretence   that  the  previous  Earl  had 
massacred  the  Gordons  in  1560,  is  an  event  that  Huntly 
ought    to    have    been    punished    for,    as    Moray    was 
an   innocent   man,  and   had   nothing   to   do  with   the 
actions    of  his    ancestors.     The    King    showed    great 
pusillanimity,  not  to  say  suspicion,  in  condoning  this 
event,   more    particularly    as    such    a    brutal    outrage 
threatened  the  peace  of  the  realm  ;  but  the  remark  has 
been  hazarded  :  Was  the  King  not  concerned  in  this 
assassination  ?     His  behaviour  at  the  Gowrie  Conspiracy, 
and  his  relations  with  Gowrie,  are  shrouded  in  mystery, 
and  will  ever  remain  so  ;  while  the  execution  of  innocent 
persons  on  that  occasion  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  the 
event  will   always  be  a  dark  spot  on  his  reputation- 
No  less  so  was  his  petty  and  inexcusable  conduct  in  the 
persecution  of  Robert  Bruce.     The  ecclesiastical  troubles 
in  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  and  the  early 
years    of    the    sevententh    century,    and    his    forcing 
Episcopacy   on    the    Scottish    people   in   a   tyrannical 
manner,  shows  his  character  in  anything  but  a  creditable 
light.     At   the  best  he  was  an  injudicious,  selfish  and 
arrogant  man,  fickle  and  weak-minded,  neither  just  nor 
high-principled,  and  as  such  his  name  will  go  down  to 


of  James  VI.  39 

posterity.  He  has  been  severely  reproached  by  some 
historians  for  his  unnatural  conduct  to  his  mother,  and 
in  that  reproach  we  concur.  Nothing  can  excuse  him 
for  not  taking  summary  steps  to  save  his  mother's  life- 
In  personal  appearance,  Sir  Anthony  Weldon  says  he 
was  of  middle  stature,  more  corpulent  through  his 
clothes  than  in  his  body,  yet  fat  enough,  his  clothes 
ever  being  made  large  and  easy,  the  doublets  quilted 
for  stiletto  proof,  his  breeches  in  great  plaits  and  full 
stuffed.  He  was  naturally  of  a  timorous  disposition, 
which  was  the  reason  of  his  quilted  doublets ;  his  eyes 
large,  ever  rolling  after  any  stranger  who  came  into  his 
presence.  His  beard  was  very  thin,  his  tongue  too  large 
for  his  mouth,  which  made  him  speak  full  in  the  mouth, 
as  if  eating  his  drink,  which  came  out  into  the  cup  on 
each  side  of  his  mouth.  He  seldom,  it  is  said,  washed 
his  hands,  only  rubbed  his  finger-ends  slightly  with  the 
wet  end  of  the  napkin.  His  legs  were  very  weak,  having 
had,  as  was  thought,  careless  treatment  in  childhood  ; 
that  weakness  made  him  ever  leaning  on  other  men's 
shoulders.  In  addition  to  his  ruling  taste  for  hunting — 
when  he  was  usually  attended  by  a  valet  who  supplied 
him  with  his  favourite  beverage,  French  or  Greek  wine, 
also  his  weakness  for  the  pleasures  of  the  table — the 
cockpit  at  Whitehall  was  frequented  by  him  at  least 
twice  a  week,  and  indeed  constituted  one  of  his 
principal  sources  of  amusement.  It  is  even  affirmed 
that  the  salary  of  the  master  of  the  cocks,  amounting  to 
£200  per  annum,  probably  exceeded  the  allowance  of 
the  Secretary  of  State.1  James  is  said  to  have  been 
indifferent  as  to  dress,  and  to  have  worn  his  clothes  as 
long  as  they  would  hang  upon  him.  In  the  reign  of 
Henry  IV.  of  France,  the  following  epigram  was  popular 
at  that  period  : — 

While  Elizabeth  was  England's  King, 
That  dreadful  name  through  Spain  did  ring  ; 
How  altered  is  the  case,  ad's  me  ! 
These  juggling  days  of  gude  Queen  Jamie  ! 
1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


40  TRo$al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

And  Macaulay  says  "James  was  made  up  of  two  men 
— a  witty,  well-read  scholar,  who  wrote,  disputed  and 
harangued,  and  a  nervous,  drivelling  idiot  who  acted  !  " 

During  the  reign  of  Mary  and  the  early  years  of 
James,  the  Justice  Ayres  had  ceased  to  be  regularly  held, 
the  effect  being  that  serious  crimes  were  dealt  with  by 
the  Court  of  Session  in  Edinburgh  ;  lesser  offences  being 
left  unpunished.  By  the  act  of  1587  it  was  ordained 
that  Justice  Ayres  should  be  held  twice  a  year  in  every 
shire,  and  that  eight  persons  should  be  appointed  to 
conduct  them.  By  an  act  of  the  Estates  in  1609 
Justices  of  the  Peace  were  appointed  for  every  county. 
Every  Justice,  other  than  a  nobleman,  Prelate  or  Privy 
Councillor,  or  Lord  of  Session,  was  to  receive  405.  Scots 
per  day  for  his  attendance  on  the  court ;  this  to  be  paid 
from  the  fines  imposed  in  the  district.1 

In  educational  matters  the  most  prominent  act  of 
James  was  his  foundation  of  Edinburgh  University  in 
1582. 

James  had  become  the  scorn  of  the  age,  and  while 
hungry  writers  flattered  him  out  of  measure  at  home, 
he  was  despised  by  all  abroad  as  a  pedant  without  true 
judgment,  courage  or  steadiness,  subject  to  his  favourites, 
and  delivered  up  to  the  corruption  of  Spain.2 

One  of  his  vices  was  his  constant  practice  of  having 
an  oath  in  his  mouth.  Sir  John  Peyton  assures  us 
that,  from  the  example  set  by  the  King,  the  fashion 
of  swearing  became  common ;  and  even  the  King's 
apologist,  Bishop  Goodman,  admits  that  he  was  wonder- 
fully passionate  and  much  given  to  swearing.  Not- 
withstanding this  he  gave,  in  his  "  Basilicon  Doron,"  the 
following  advice  to  his  son — a  young  man  who,  it  is 
said,  regarded  an  oath  with  abhorrence  :  "  Beware  of 
offending  your  conscience  with  the  use  of  swearing  or 
lying,  even  in  jest,  for  oaths  are  but  a  use  and  a  sin 
clothed  with  no  delight  nor  gain,  and  therefore  inexcus- 
able." In  the  British  Museum  will  be  found  two  little 
books,  "Witty  observations  of  King  James  gathered 
1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par.  2  Burnet. 


JAMES   VI. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  in  the  possession  of  C.  Bryant,  Esq.) 


To  face  p.  40 


IReign  of  James  VI.  41 

in  his  ordinary  discourse,"  and  "Witty  aphorisms  of 
King  James."  From  the  former  we  give  the  following 
specimen : — 

I  love  not  one  who  will  never  be  angry  ;  for  he  that  is  without 
sorrow  is  without  gladness  ;  so  he  that  is  without  anger  is  without 
love. 

Parents  may  forbid  their  children  an  unfit  marriage ;  but  they 
may  not  force  their  consent  to  a  fit  one. 

It  is  likely  the  people  will  mistake  the  King  in  good  ;  but  it  is 
sure  they  will  follow  him  in  ill. 

I  wonder  not  so  much  that  women  paint  themselves  as  that  when 
they  are  painted  men  can  love  them. 

Much  money  makes  a  country  poor,  for  it  sets  a  dear  price  on 
everything. 

Cowardice  is  the  mother  of  cruelty  ;  it  was  only  fear  that  made 
tyrants  put  so  many  to  death  to  secure  themselves. 

In  allusion  to  James's  character  for  pedantry,  Pope 
introduces  the  following  lines  into  the  "  Dunciad  "  : — 

"  Oh  !  "  cried  the  Goddess,  "  for  some  pedant  reign  ! 
Some  gentle  James  to  bless  the  land  again  ; 
To  stick  the  doctor's  chair  into  the  throne, 
Give  war  to  words,  or  war  with  words  alone  ; 
Senates  and  courts  with  Greek  and  Latin  rule, 
And  turn  the  Council  to  a  Grammar  School." 

On  the  day  of  the  accession  of  James  to  the  English 
crown,  England  descended  from  the  rank  which  she  had 
hitherto  held  and  began  to  be  regarded  as  a  power 
hardly  of  the  second  order.  During  many  years  the 
British  monarchy,  under  four  successive  princes  of  the 
House  of  Stuart,  was  scarcely  a  more  important  member 
of  the  European  system  than  the  little  kingdom  of 
Scotland  had  previously  been.  Of  James  I.  it  may  be 
said,  that  if  his  administration  had  been  able  and 
splendid  it  would  probably  have  been  fatal  to  our 
country.  We  owe  more  to  his  weakness  and  meanness 
than  to  the  wisdom  and  courage  of  much  better 
sovereigns.  He  began  his  administration  by  putting 
an  end  to  the  war  between  England  and  Spain,  and 
from  that  time  he  shunned  hostilities  with  a  caution 


42  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

which  was  proof  against  the  insults  of  his  neighbours 
and  the  clamours  of  his  subjects.  Far  inferior  to 
Elizabeth  in  abilities  and  popularity,  and  excluded 
from  the  throne  by  the  testament  of  Henry  VIII., 
James  was  yet  the  undoubted  heir  of  William  the 
Conqueror.  By  his  fondness  for  worthless  minions  he 
kept  discontent  constantly  alive.  His  cowardice,  his 
childishness,  his  pedantry,  his  ungainly  person  and 
manners,  his  provincial  accent,  made  him  an  object  of 
derision.  The  Scottish  people  had  always  been  singu- 
larly turbulent  and  ungovernable ;  they  had  butchered 
their  first  James  in  his  bedchamber ;  they  had  repeatedly 
arrayed  themselves  in  arms  against  James  II.;  they 
had  slain  James  III.  on  the  field  of  battle;  their 
disobedience  had  broken  the  heart  of  James  V. ;  they 
had  deposed  and  imprisoned  Mary  ;  they  had  led  her 
son  captive,  while  their  habits  were  rude  and  martial. 
The  Church  of  Rome  was  regarded  by  the  great  body 
of  the  people  with  a  hatred  which  might  be  called 
ferocious,  while  the  Church  of  England  was  the  object 
of  scarcely  less  aversion.1 

James  was  only  once  married.  The  Queen  pre- 
deceased him  in  1619.  There  were  six  children,  but 
only  Charles  and  Elizabeth  were  alive  at  his  death. 
Unlike  most  of  his  predecessors  James  had  no  natural 
children,  and  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained  he  and  the 
Queen  lived  a  pure  and  virtuous  life.  The  children 
were  Robert,  Margaret,  Sophia,  and  Mary,  who  died  in 
infancy  ;  Prince  Henry  ;  Charles,  afterwards  Charles  I. ; 
Elizabeth,  married  to  the  Elector  Palatine,  King  of 
Bohemia ;  the  issue  of  this  marriage  was  Frederick,  Count 
Palatine,  Charles,  Count  Palatine,  Count  Rupert,  Maurice, 
Edward  ;  Elizabeth  and  Louisa  died  without  issue  ; 
Sophia  married  Ernest,  Duke  of  Hanover.  She,  being 
nearest  heir  to  the  English  crown,  was  nominated  to 
Queen  Anne,  failing  issue.  She  left  issue,  George 
Louis,  Duke  of  Hanover,  who  married  Sophia,  daughter 
of  William,  Duke  of  Yell,  by  whom  they  had  George, 
1  Macaulay's  England. 


of  James  VI. 


43 


born  1683,  Frederick,  Maximilian,  Charles,  Ernest,  and 
one  daughter,  Sophia,  married  to  Frederick,  King  of 
Prussia,  and  had  issue. 

PASQUIL  ON  SAUL  AND  THE  WITCH  OF  ENDOR.1 
Written  in  the  Reign  of  James. 

In  guilty  night  and  clad  in  false  disguise, 
Forsaken  Saul  to  Endor  comes,  and  cries  : 

Saul         Woman,  arise,  call  powerful  arts  together, 

And  raise  that  soul  that  I  shall  name,  up  hither. 
Woman   Why,  wouldst  thou  wish  me  die,  forbear,  my  son, 

Dost  thou  not  know  what  cruel  Saul  hath  done  ? 

Now  he  hath  shame,  now  he  hath  murdered  all, 

All  that  were  wise  and  could  on  spirits  call. 
Saul         Woman,  be  bold,  uo  but  the  thing  I  wish, 

No  harm  from  Saul  shall  come  to  thee  for  this. 
Woman   Whom  wouldst  thou  have  me  call  ?  I'll  make  him  hear  ; 
Saul         Old  Samuel,  let  him  alone  appear. 
Woman   Alas  !     What  fearest  thou  ?     Nought  else  but  thee, 

For  thou  art  Saul  and  hast  beguiled  me. 
Saul         Peace,  go  on,  whom  hast  thou,  let  me  know. 
Woman    I  see  the  Gods  ascending  from  below  ; 

Who's  that  comes  there,  an  old  man  mantled  o'er. 
Saul         Ah  !  That  is  he  ;  let  me  that  ghost  adore. 
Samuel    Why  hast  thou  robbed  me  of  my  rest,  to  see 

That  which  I  hate,  this  wicked  world  and  thee. 
Saul         Oh  !  I  am  sore  perplexed,  vexed  sore  ; 

God  hath  me  left,  and  answers  me  no  more  ; 

Distressed  with  wars  and  inward  terrors  too, 

For  pity's  sake  tell  me  what  shall  I  do. 
Samuel    Art  thou  forlorn  of  God,  and  comest  to  me, 

What  can  I  tell  thee  then  but  misery  ? 

Thy  kingdom's  gone  into  thy  neighbour's  race, 

Thy  house  shall  fall  before  thy  very  face  ; 

To-morrow,  and  till  then,  farewell,  and  breathe, 

Thou  and  thy  sons  shall  be  with  me  beneath. 

1  Pasquils  and  biting  epigrams,  foretelling  some  fatal  end,  were  in  1595 
found  pinned  to  Maitland  the  Chancellor's  seat  in  open  court. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Birth  of  Charles — The  Spanish  love  fiasco — Marriage  of  Charles 
and  Henrietta  Maria — Charles's  first  Proclamation — First 
meeting,  English  Parliament — Trial  and  Execution,  Lord 
Ochiltree — Charles's  visit  to  Scotland — Coronaticn  at  Edin- 
burgh— Charles  and  the  Episcopal  vote — He  opens  the 
Scottish  Parliament — The  King's  visit  to  Perth — Arrest  of 
Balmerino — Scots  bishops  and  their  Liturgy — Assault  of 
bishops  in  St.  Giles — Uproarious  proceedings — Traquair  and 
the  bishop  assaulted — The  Minister  of  Ayr  chased — The 
Covenanters  and  the  King — Subscription,  National  Covenant 
— Glasgow  General  Assembly,  1638 — The  King  and  Rothes 
quarrel — Argyll  and  Leslie  lead  Covenanters  —  Hamilton 
supports  the  King — Hamilton's  reception,  Leith  sands — 
King  and  Commissioners,  Scots  Parliament — King's  Speech 
dissolving  Parliament — Defeat  of  the  King's  troops — The 
King  at  York — King's  Speech  to  Lords  at  York — The  Long 
Parliament — Star  Chamber  abolished — Trial  and  Execution 
of  Lord  Strafford — King  visits  Edinburgh — The  General 
Assembly,  1641 — Westminster  Assembly  of  1643. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  I. 

A.D.    1625 — 1649. 

CHARLES  I.,  second  son  of  James  VI.,  was  born  at 
Dunfermline  Abbey  on  ipth  November,  1600,  and  was 
christened  on  23rd  December  following,  according  to 
the  form  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  quietly  and  without 
ceremony.  At  four  years  of  age  he  was  created  Duke 
of  York ;  he  was  carried  in  the  arms  of  Lord  Howard, 
Lord  High  Admiral  of  England,  and  a  curious  pageant 
followed  the  ceremony.  It  is  described  by  Sir  Dudley 
Carleton  in  a  letter  of  January,  1605,  and  is  interesting 
as  giving  us  a  side-light  into  the  manners  of  the  time  : 
11  There  was  a  great  engine  at  the  lower  end  of  the 

44 


CHARLES    I. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(By  Vandyck.) 

(From  the  Drummond  Castle  Collection.) 
(Photo,  Doig,  Wilson  &•  Wheatley.) 


To  face  p.  44 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  45 

room  which  had  motion  in  it,  there  were  images  of  sea- 
horses, with  other  terrible  fishes,  which  were  ridden  by  the 
Moors.  The  indecorum  was  that  there  was  all  fish  and 
no  water.  At  the  further  end  was  a  great  shell  in  the 
form  of  a  scallop,  wherein  were  four  seats.  In  the 
lowest  sat  the  Queen,  in  the  others  her  ladies.  Their 
appearance  was  rich,  but  too  light  and  courtesan-like 
for  such  great  ones.  Instead  of  vizards,  their  faces  and 
arms  up  to  the  elbows  were  painted  black,  which  was 
disguise  sufficient,  for  they  were  hard  to  be  known. 
The  night's  work  was  concluded  with  a  banquet  in  the 
great  chamber,  which  was  so  furiously  assaulted  that 
down  went  table  and  tressels  before  one  bit  was 
touched." 

There  is  really  nothing  recorded  of  the  boyhood  of 
Charles  until  he  reached  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
when  a  match  was  proposed  between  him  and  Donna 
Maria,  the  Infanta  of  Spain,  second  daughter  of  Philip  III. 
It  was  first  set  on  foot  in  1617,  and  negotiations  were 
protracted  till  1622.  It  was  eventually  resolved  that 
Charles  should  go  to  Spain  and  make  love  in  person  to 
the  lady.  His  father  was  unwilling  that  he  should  do 
so,  but  he  ultimately  consented,  and  on  I7th  February, 
1623,  the  Prince,  accompanied  by  his  father's  favourite, 
the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  and  Sir  Francis  Cottington, 
set  out  for  Madrid,  travelling  in  disguise.  The  Prince 
arrived  there  on  7th  March,  and  was  cordially  received 
by  the  King  and  Court.1 

The  principal  quarter  of  the  Royal  palace  was  set 
apart  for  his  accommodation,  and  the  Spanish  King 
appointed  him  a  guard  of  100  soldiers.  Prisons  were 
thrown  open  and  prisoners  set  at  liberty  in  honour  of 
his  visit.  A  day  was  set  apart  for  the  ceremony  of  a 

1  The  Spaniards  were  struck  with  the  handsome  appearance  of 
Charles,  and  with  the   romance  of  the  visit,    and   a   local   poet 
composed  some  rhyme  which  was  chanted  on  the  streets,  e.g.^ 
Charles  Stuart  I  am, 

Love  has  guided  me  far  ; 
To  the  heavens  of  Spain, 
To  Maria,  my  star. 


Toft 


46  IRosal  fixwse  of  Stuart 


public  entrance  into  the  capital,  after  which  there  was 
a  magnificent  banquet  at  St.  Jerome's  monastery,  which 
included  the  ministers  of  State.  After  the  banquet  the 
King  came  out  and  escorted  the  Prince  back  to  the 
capital.  By  the  custom  of  the  time,  Charles  could  not 
be  introduced  to  the  Infanta  till  a  dispensation  arrived 
from  Rome.  It  arrived  six  months  after  Charles's 
arrival.  His  father  was  lavish  in  his  jewels  and  presents 
for  the  Spanish  Court.  They  amounted  in  value,  it  is 
said,  to  ^"100,000.  The  Infanta,  however,  declined  to 
receive  them  until  matters  had  matured.  The  mission 
cost  the  English  Exchequer  £50,000,  apart  from  the 
jewels.  The  match,  however,  for  some  political  reasons, 
probably  because  she  was  a  Catholic,  never  came  off. 
The  Infanta  was  much  to  be  pitied  for  the  breaking  off 
of  the  marriage.  She  was  evidently  much  attached  to 
the  Prince,  and  had  made  arrangements  of  an  extensive 
nature  to  go  to  England  as  the  wife  of  Charles  ;  while 
in  Madrid  she  was  styled  the  Princess  of  England. 
The  brief  glimpse  we  get  of  this  lady  leaves  no  doubt 
on  the  reader's  mind  of  her  devotion  and  affection  for 
Charles.  She  was  afterwards  married  to  the  Emperor 
Ferdinand  III.,  and  died  in  1646.  In  1624  a  commission, 
headed  by  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  was  sent  to  France 
to  take  the  feeling  of  the  French  Court  as  to  a  match 
between  Charles  and  Henrietta  Maria,  third  daughter 
of  King  Henry,  and  sister  of  Louis  XIII.  The  com- 
missioners were  generously  received,  and  a  treaty  of 
marriage  was  eventually  signed  at  Paris  on  loth 
November.  It  consisted  of  articles,  the  historian  says, 
scarcely  less  discreditable  to  the  English  Court  than 
those  of  the  Spanish  Treaty.  The  dowry  of  the 
Princess  was  800,000  crowns. 

On  27th  March,  1625,  King  James  died  at  Theobald's 
palace,1  London,  and,  it  is  said,  that  within  an  hour 

1  Theobald's  had  been  the  residence  of  Sir  William  Cecil,  Lord 
Burghley,  who  was  visited  here  in  1564  by  Queen  Elizabeth.  It 
afterwards  became  the  property  of  James  I.  of  England,  who  gave 
Sir  Robert  Cecil  Hatfield  in  exchange  for  it.  It  was  pulled  down 


HENRIETTA   MARIA. 
Queen  of  Scotland.     Wife  of  Charles  I. 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Vandyck  in  the  possession  of  the  Earl  of  Clarendon. 


To  face  p.  47 


TReign  of  Cbarles  I.  47 

thereafter,  Charles  was  proclaimed  King  at  the  court 
gate  of  Theobald's  and  at  Westminster,  and  at 
Edinburgh  shortly  afterwards.  The  coronation  of 
Charles  took  place  at  Westminster  Abbey  on  2nd 
February,  1626.  The  Queen  refused  to  be  crowned 
(being  a  Catholic),  and  would  not  even  attend  his 
coronation,  at  which  great  dissatisfaction  was 
expressed. 

The  marriage  of  Charles  was  solemnised  on  2ist 
May,  1625,  by  proxy,  at  Paris  with  great  splendour. 

On  22nd  June  following  the  Princess  Henrietta  Maria 
arrived  at  Dover,  escorted  by  the  Duke  of  Buckingham 
and  a  train  of  English  and  French  nobility.  On  the 
journey  she  received  a  beautiful  and  interesting  letter 
from  her  mother,  Maria  de  Medicis,  bidding  her  a  last 
farewell,  and  instructing  her  on  the  duties  of  life.  This 
letter  is  too  long  for  our  limits.1  The  King  came  to 
Dover  Castle  the  following  morning  to  meet  his  bride. 
His  arrival  was  unexpected ;  the  Princess  was  at 
breakfast ;  she  hasted  downstairs  to  meet  him,  and 
offered  to  kneel  and  kiss  his  hand,  but  he  folded  her 
in  his  arms  with  many  salutes.  "  Sire,"  she  said,  "  I 
have  come  into  your  Majesty's  country  to  be  at  your 
command,"  and  with  these  words  she  burst  into  tears. 
Charles  soothed  her  with  many  kind  words,  and  the 
Royal  party  then  went  on  to  Canterbury.  On  the  road 
there  were  pavilions  and  a  banquet  prepared,  and  all 
the  English  ladies  of  the  Queen's  household  were 
waiting  to  be  presented  to  the  Queen.  At  Canterbury 
a  great  feast  awaited  them,  Charles  attending  to  his 
bride  and  carving  for  her.  The  same  evening  they 
were  married  in  the  great  hall  of  that  ancient  city,  and 
they  remained  there  two  or  three  days.  They  then 
went  by  water  to  London  where  they  were  received 
with  great  rejoicings  ;  the  banks  of  the  river  were  lined 
with  spectators,  who  stood  on  barges,  and  the  guns  at 

in  1650,  and  the  site  is  now  occupied  by  the  houses  of  Theobald's 
Square,  near  Southampton  Row. 

1  See  Strickland's  "  Queens  of  England,"  vol.  viii. 


48  TRosal  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 

the  Tower  sent  forth  peals  of  thunder,  and  the  bells 
rang  till  midnight.  The  Royal  pair  retired  to  Hampton 
Court.  The  priestly  retinue  of  Henrietta  Maria  con- 
sisted of  thirty.  In  addition  to  these,  she  had  a  staff  of 
male  and  female  attendants,  numbering  upwards  of  400. 
These  lost  no  opportunity  of  fomenting  quarrels  between 
King  and  Queen.  The  cost  of  these  attendants  is 
recorded  at  £240  a  day.  Their  continual  presence 
became  so  intolerable  to  Charles  that  he  resolved  to 
get  quit  of  them.  Considerable  negotiations  went  on 
for  their  dismissal ;  they  objected  to  being  expelled, 
and  eventually  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard  forcibly  put 
them  out  of  the  palace  and  marched  them  to  Somerset 
House.  The  same  evening  the  King  informed  them 
that  they  had  greatly  embittered  his  domestic  happiness, 
and  that  further  endurance  was  out  of  the  question. 
The  King  had  locked  the  Queen  in  her  room  at 
Whitehall  so  that  she  might  not  see  them  depart.  It 
is  said  she  was  furious  at  this,  tore  her  hair  and  cut  her 
hands  by  dashing  them  through  the  window.  All  this 
took  place  in  July,  1626.  The  Yeomen  of  the  Guard, 
under  Buckingham,  were  eventually  ordered  to  turn  the 
whole  contingent  out  of  Somerset  House,  and  see  them 
shipped  at  Dover.  This  occupied  four  days,  and  nearly 
forty  carriages  were  required  ;  but  it  was  accomplished. 
The  liberality  of  Charles  on  this  occasion  was  munificent. 
His  list  of  the  donations  preserved  in  the  Harleian 
manuscripts  amounts  to  £22,672,  while  in  the  excite- 
ment that  was  going  on  the  Queen's  wardrobe  was  by 
the  women  absolutely  carried  off,  not  even  a  dress 
being  left.1 

When  Henrietta  Maria  on  one  occasion  told  her 
physician,  Sir  Theodore  Meyerne,  that  she  found  her 
understanding  was  failing  her  and  was  terrified  lest  it 
should  approach  to  madness,  Meyerne  replied  :  "  Madam, 
fear  not  that ;  for  you  are  already  mad." 

The  Duke  of  Buckingham  (George  Villiers,  first 
Duke),  who  was  a  favourite  of  James  VI.,  and  who 
1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


TRetgn  of  Cbarles  I.  49 

went  to  Spain  with  Prince  Charles  on  the  memorable 
love-tour  which  failed,  acquired  in  after  years  a  great 
influence  and  power  over  the  King,  now  Charles  I. 
The  people  keenly  resented  this  influence,  to  such  an 
extent  that  Buckingham  was  in  1628  assassinated  by 
one  Felton,  a  subaltern.1 

One  of  Charles's  first  acts  was  to  issue  a  proclamation 
intimating  that  all  persons  who  should  disturb  his 
government,  or  mislead  his  people  by  making  them 
suppose  that  he  intended  to  make  any  change  in  the 
government  of  the  Church,  should  be  severely  punished  ; 
after  which  the  Town  Council  of  Edinburgh  were 
ordered  to  choose  no  magistrates  except  those  who 
obeyed  the  Five  Articles  of  Perth.  Whether  the 
Town  Council  respected  this  order  we  are  not 
informed,  but  the  probability  is  they  did  not. 

In  1628  the  King  called  a  meeting  of  the  English 
Parliament,  which  was  determined  to  maintain  the 
liberties  of  the  nation,  and  presented  the  Petition 
of  Right.2  He  disapproved,  assumed  a  threatening 
tone,  and  finally,  when  he  could  not  get  his  own 
way,  dissolved  Parliament  on  loth  March,  1629.  He 
even  caused  some  of  the  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons  to  be  imprisoned  for  their  behaviour  in 
disobeying  him,  which  was  considered  an  inexcusable 

1  On  one  occasion   a  libel  was  taken  down   from   a  post  in 
Coleman  Street  by  a  constable  and  carried  to  the  Lord  Mayor, 
who  ordered  it  to  be  delivered  to  the  King.     The  libel  was  : — 

•    Who  rules  the  kingdom  ?    The  King. 
Who  rules  the  King  ?    The  Duke. 
Who  rules  the  Duke  ?    The  Devil. 
And  another  said  : — 

Let  Charles  and  George  do  what  they  can, 
The  Duke  shall  die  like  Dr.  Lamb. 

(Lamb  was  murdered.) 

And  after  the  assassination  of  the  Duke  another  said  : — 
The  Duke  has  gone  down  to  Hell, 
To  see  King  James. 

2  This  petition  declared  that  it  should  not  be  in  the  King's 
power  either  to  banish  or  imprison  any  person  without  acquainting 
him  of  his  crime. 

VOL.   II.  D 


so  TRo^al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

proceeding.      Whatever   may   have    been    the    causes 
which  led  up   to   this   attitude   of  the   King — and  of 
these  we  are  not  informed — he  did  not  again  convene 
Parliament   for   a    period    of  eleven  years.      It  seems 
extraordinary    that    the    members     of    both    Houses 
submitted    to    this.      During    that    long    interval    he 
governed  the   kingdom    single-handed,  with   the   Earl 
of    Strafford    and    Archbishop     Laud     as     his     chief 
advisers,   obtaining    for    his    edicts    the    approval    of 
the    Star   Chamber.      Obviously,   such    administration 
could   not   continue,  and    it   seems   like   the   irony  of 
fate  that  these  three  men  were  all  eventually  beheaded. 
Charles  resolved    to  retain   Prelacy  as  established  by 
his  father  in  Scotland,  and  ordered  the  bishops  to  be 
diligent   in   the   prosecution   of  it ;    while   the   people 
were   led   to   understand   that   they   had    no   relief  to 
expect  at  his  hands,  as  he  had  inherited  his  father's 
hostility  to  Presbyterianism  and  Nonconformity.     One 
of  Charles's  first  acts  was  to  demand  an  unconditional 
surrender  of  all  the  tithes  and  other  Church  property 
which  had  reverted  to  his  father  at  the  Reformation, 
and  was   gifted   by  him    to   the   nobles.     The   nobles 
resolved   to   resist   this   to   the   last   extremity.      The 
King  was  enraged,  and  in  1625  ordered  the  Revocation 
Act,  which  had  been  already  prepared  to  be  published, 
when  it  was  found  to  extend  beyond  the  Reformation 
to  the  distance  of  eighty-three  years,  and  to  include 
every  grant  made  in  the  two  preceding  reigns.     The 
King   insisted    on    his    prerogative,   and    prosecutions 
were   instituted    against    such    nobles    as    refused    to 
comply  with  the  King's  demand.     They  were  prose- 
cuted   separately,   and    the    result    was    general    and 
permanent  discontent. 

The  political  significance  of  this  step  was  that  it 
threw  the  majority  of  the  nobles  on  the  side  of  the 
Presbyterian  clergy,  and  thus  renewed  the  alliance 
which  at  the  Reformation  period  had  been  so  dis- 
astrous to  the  Crown.1  According  to  Professor  Masson, 
1  Hume  Brown. 


TReign  of  Cbarles  I.  51 

there  were  erected  into  temporal  lordships,  between 
1587  and  1625,  twenty-one  abbeys,  seven  priories,  six 
nunneries,  two  preceptories,  and  two  ministries.  There 
must  have  been  few  families  in  Scotland  not  affected 
by  this  movement.  On  I2th  October,  1625,  this 
Revocation  Act  passed  the  Privy  Seal.  Opposition 
of  a  formidable  character  was  raised  against  it,  and 
deputation  after  deputation  waited  on  the  King  to 
remonstrate.  It  was  not  till  January,  1627,  when  the 
King  made  up  his  mind  to  have  a  Commission  for 
surrenders  of  Superiorities  and  Teinds,  which  was 
directed  to  sit  till  the  close  of  July.2  The  plan 
devised  by  Charles  for  the  remedy  of  the  evil  was 
that  every  heritor  was  to  have  the  power  of  purchasing 
his  own  tithes  from  the  titulars  or  holders.  This 
commission  found  that  all  erections  should  be  resigned 
into  the  King's  hands,  and  that  their  owners  should 
accept  the  composition  he  might  offer.  The  parties 
interested  were  the  Lords  of  Erections,  Burghs  which 
had  received  grants  of  Church  lands,  the  Clergy,  and 
the  tacksmen  of  teinds.  In  September,  1629,  the 
King  gave  his  deliverance  that  the  value  of  the 
teinds  be  declared  to  be  one-fifth  of  the  rents  of 
the  lands,  and  their  heritable  value  to  be  nine  years' 
purchase ;  for  the  erected  lands  ten  years'  purchase. 
The  act  was  of  great  importance  to  the  clergy  and 
to  the  Church  in  Scotland,  and  paved  the  way  for 
the  permanent  provision  of  its  ministers. 

In  1629  Charles  ordained  that  in  July,  at  the  sound 
of  trumpets,  the  Communion  be  dispensed  in  the 
Chapel  Royal,  Holyrood,  that  all  members  of  the 
Privy  Council  and  College  of  Justice,  and  other 
servants  of  the  Crown  should,  under  the  highest 
penalty,  join  that  sacred  ordinance.  In  this  he  was 
not  obeyed,  and  he  wrote  the  Privy  Council  that 
"such  of  them  as  would  not  obey  should  be  required 
to  forbear  the  execution  of  their  several  charges  in 
our  service  (suspension  from  office)  until  they  brought 
1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


52  TRosal  ifoouse  of  Stuart 

a  certificate  of  their  having  received  the  Communion 
from  the  dean  of  the  chapel  .  .  .  and  we  require  you  to 
remove  from  our  Council  table  all  who  are  disobedient." 

During  the  reign  of  Charles,  we  have  some  dis- 
graceful examples  of  the  administration  of  justice  in 
the  trial  and  execution  of  some  of  the  most  prominent 
statesmen  and  nobility  of  the  kingdom,  as  recorded  in 
the  State  Trials  of  the  period.  The  trial  of  Lord 
Ochiltree  in  1631  was  a  notable  example.  This  was 
James  Stewart,  sixth  Lord,  eldest  son  of  James 
Stewart,  fifth  Lord,  who  was  created  Earl  of  Arran 
by  James  VI.,  and  was  the  man  who  caused  the 
downfall  and  execution  of  the  Regent  Morton.1  Lord 
Ochiltree,  in  1631,  had  foolishly  charged  the  Marquis 
of  Hamilton  and  three  other  nobles  with  treason,  for 
having  designs  on  the  Crown,  and  he  was  unable  to 
prove  his  case.  For  this  he  was  arrested  and  was 
himself  arraigned  for  treason.  The  trial  was  a  most 
protracted  one,  but  Ochiltree  was  found  guilty  and 
sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  life  in  Blackness 
Castle.  He  lay  twenty  years  in  that  dreadful  prison 
by  the  relentless  order  of  Charles,  but  was  released 
by  Cromwell  when  Charles's  forces  were  defeated  at 
Worcester.  The  unfortunate  nobleman  survived  his 
release  only  seven  years.  In  Scotland  there  was 
much  indignation  against  Charles  for  this  oppressive 
treatment  of  Ochiltree  without  adequate  cause. 

On  1 7th  May,  1633,  Charles,  after  many  promises, 
set  out  from  London  to  visit  Scotland,  in  order  to  be 
crowned.  He  had  a  brilliant  escort  of  500  English 
noblemen,  gentlemen  and  ecclesiastics,  including  Arch- 
bishop Laud.  The  party  rested  four  days  at  Berwick  ; 
at  Seton  the  King  was  the  guest  of  the  Earl  of  Winton) 
and  at  Dalkeith  Palace  of  the  Earl  of  Morton.  He  left 
Dalkeith  on  i$th  June,  and  made  his  official  entry  into 
Edinburgh.  It  is  said  the  pageantry  on  the  occasion 

1  Andrew  Stewart,  the  first  Lord,  exchanged  the  lands  and 
title  of  Avondale  for  those  of  Ochiltree  in  1540,  in  the  reign  of 
James  IV. 


IReian  of  Cbarles  I.  53 

exceeded  in  magnificence  and  costliness  anything  of 
the  kind  that  had  ever  been  seen  in  Scotland.  He 
was  received  by  the  magistrates  of  Edinburgh  in  their 
official  robes,  and  by  the  population  with  much 
enthusiasm.  The  magistrates  were  attended  by  260 
armed  youths,  dressed  in  doublets  of  white  satin,  and 
black  velvet  breeches.  On  the  line  of  procession  the 
streets  were  hung  with  carpets  and  tapestry,  lined  with 
trained  bands  and  expensive  decorations.  The  Provost 
presented  him  with  a  basin  made  of  pure  gold,  valued  at 
5,000  merks,  and  into  it  was  poured  from  a  purse  1,000 
golden  angels  (gold  coins  of  the  period).1 

At  eight  o'clock  a.m.,  in  the  great  hall  of  the  castle, 
in  a  chair  of  state,  the  King  received  a  congratulatory 
address  from  the  nobility  and  barons,  presented  by  the 
Chancellor.  A  procession  was  formed,  preceded  by 
trumpeters,  when  the  nobility,  clergy,  and  officers  of 
State  took  their  places  according  to  degree.  Next 
came  the  King,  attired  in  crimson  velvet,  his  train 
borne  by  four  noblemen.  Dismounting  at  Holyrood, 
he  walked  to  the  Abbey  Church,  having  borne  over 
him  a  canopy  of  crimson  velvet  fringed  with  gold. 
The  archbishop  of  Glasgow  rode  in  the  procession, 
but  Spottiswoode,  the  archbishop  of  St.  Andrews,  waited 
at  the  west  door  of  the  church  to  receive  him.  The 
King  walked '  to  the  dais  where  the  crown,  sceptre, 
sword  and  spurs,  also  the  anointing  oil,  were  placed 
near  the  Communion  Table.  The  bishop  of  Brechin 
preached  the  sermon  from  i  Kings  i.  39,  after  which 
the  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews  presented  him  to  the 
people.  An  anthem  was  then  sung,  and  the  Primate 
administered  the  coronation  oath.  Under  a  canopy 
near  the  pulpit  the  King  was  by  the  Primate  anointed 
with  the  consecrated  oil.  He  was  then  crowned,  and 
the  clergy  and  barons,  having  sworn  allegiance,  were 
permitted  to  salute  the  King,  after  which  he  joined  the 
Holy  Communion,  and  thereafter  left  the  church,  wearing 
the  crown  and  carrying  the  sceptre.  The  following  day 
1  Mailman's  History  of  Edinburgh. 


54  IRo^al  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

Parliament  assembled  in  the  Tolbooth  of  Edinburgh, 
whither  the  King  proceeded  in  state.  He  was  on 
horseback,  wore  a  purple  velvet  robe,  which  had  been 
worn  on  great  occasions  by  James  IV.,  and  was  of  such 
dimensions  that  it  was  borne  up  by  five  grooms  of 
honour  who  walked  behind.  On  his  head  was  a  hat 
surmounted  by  a  bunch  of  white  feathers.  The  sword 
of  state  was  carried  by  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  the  sceptre 
by  the  Earl  of  Rothes,  the  crown  by  the  Marquis 
of  Douglas.  This  Parliament,  which  he  opened  in 
person,  lasted  only  two  days.  The  first  day  was  devoted 
to  the  election  of  the  Lords  of  the  Articles  ;  the  bishops 
were  named  by  the  Chancellor  ;  they  in  turn  nominated 
the  temporal  peers,  and  both  selected  the  burgesses  and 
lesser  barons  from  the  third  Estate.  A  curious  incident 
occurred.  The  dresses  worn  by  the  clergy  at  the  corona- 
tion were  regarded  with  suspicion,  and  the  nobles 
expected  that  the  surplice  would  be  brought  into  use,  if 
the  acts  granted  in  the  reign  of  James  VI.  were  ratified. 
The  Lords  of  the  Articles  now  desired  an  act  of  Charles 
to  confirm  these.  On  the  reading  of  the  proposed  act, 
Lord  Melville  stated  in  the  King's  presence :  "  I  have 
sworn  with  your  father  and  the  whole  kingdom  to  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  in  which  the  innovations  intended 
by  these  Articles  were  solemnly  abjured."  The  King 
would  allow  no  debate,  but  ordered  a  vote  to  be  taken. 
It  was  found  that  the  proposed  act  was  rejected  ; 
fifteen  peers  and  forty-five  commoners  having  voted 
against  it.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Lord  Clerk 
Register,  Sir  John  Hay,  had  the  effrontery  to  report 
that  the  act  was  carried,  and  it  is  said  that  this  dis- 
honest proceeding  was  by  the  connivance  of  the 
King.  The  Earl  of  Rothes  rose  and  contradicted 
Hay,  intimating  that  the  negatives  had  the 
majority,  but  the  King  announced  that  the  Lord 
Clerk  Register's  result  must  be  accepted  as  the 
decision  of  Parliament,  and  the  act  therefore  received 
the  Royal  assent.  This  incident  seriously  affected 
Charles's  popularity  in  Scotland.'  Those  who  voted 


fRefan  of  Cbarles  I.  55 

against  him  lost  the  Royal  favour,  and  it  is  alleged 
he  took  every  opportunity  of  mortifying  them  by  open 
neglect  when  they  appeared  in  Court,  or  by  reproaching 
them  in  an  insolent  manner.1  This  Parliament  was  led 
on  by  the  Episcopal  and  Court  faction,  which  afterwards 
proved  to  be  the  stone  that  crushed  him  to  pieces,  and 
the  fuel  of  that  flame  which  set  the  country  on  fire  not 
long  after.  This  Parliament,  when  it  rose  on  28th  June, 
had  put  its  seal  to  no  fewer  than  168  acts,  and  it 
sanctioned  the  Act  of  Revocation. 

Several  noblemen  received  honours  at  this  time  : — 
George,  Viscount  Dupplin,  was  created  Earl  of  Kinnoull, 
died  1635  ;  William,  Lord  Ramsay,  Earl  of  Dalhousie  ; 
Sir  David  Lindsay,  Lord  Balcarres ;  William,  Lord 
Alexander,  Earl  of  Stirling ;  David,  Lord  Carnegie, 
Earl  of  Southesk  ;  Patrick  Oliphant,  created  Lord 
Oliphant,  etc.,  etc. 

After  the  coronation  the  King  visited  Linlithgow, 
Stirling,  Dunfermline,  Falkland  and  Perth.  At  Perth 
he  made  his  official  entry  on  8th  July,  and  was  received 
at  the  South  Inch  by  the  Provost  and  magistrates,  who 
presented  him  with  an  address,  which  he  listened  to 
sitting  on  horseback.  Young  men  clad  in  red  and  white 
then  escorted  him  to  Gowrie  House,  occupied  by  Lord 
Kinnoull.  Next  day  he  attended  divine  service,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Gowrie  House,  and  sat  in  a  chair 
on  the  garden  wall  in  front  of  the  river  to  witness  an 
entertainment  there  ;  thirteen  of  the  Glovers,  dressed  in 
their  uniform,  danced  the  sword  dance,  or  Morrice  dance, 
and  other  dances,  on  a  floating  stage  of  timber  on  the 
Tay.  The  Town  Council  ordered  40  fat  oxen  to  be  used 
for  the  King's  entertainment,  and  all  the  best  houses  to 
be  kept  for  Englishmen.  The  Glovers  still  possess  one 
of  the  Morrice  dresses  used  on  that  occasion.  The  King 
remained  a  few  days,  and  returned  to  Edinburgh. 

The  incident  of  the  King  pretending  to  cure  scrofula 
took  place  on  4th  June,  1634,  when  he  went  to  the 
Chapel  Royal,  where  100  diseased  persons  were 

1  Taylor. 


56  IRo^al  1F3ouse  of  Stuart 


assembled.  After  laying  an  offering  on  the  altar,  he 
touched  them  all  individually  ;  and  in  commemoration 
of  the  event  he  suspended,  by  a  white  silken  ribbon,  from 
the  neck  of  each  a  gold  medal,  coined  expressly  for  the 
occasion.  The  King  returned  to  London  on  ipth  July 
(1634),  and  went  to  Greenwich,  where  the  Queen  had 
given  birth  to  another  son,  afterwards  James  VII.  of 
Scotland  and  II.  of  England.  Before  his  departure 
from  Edinburgh,  the  nobles  who  dissented  from  him  in 
Parliament  resolved  to  ask  him  to  reconsider  the  matter, 
and  they  put  their  reasons  on  paper,  and  deputed  Lord 
Rothes  to  present  it.  While  perusing  the  paper  the 
King  showed  signs  of  impatience,  and  on  returning  it  to 
Rothes  said  :  "  No  more  of  this,  my  lord,  I  command 
you."  This  ungracious  answer  caused  the  petitioners  to 
abandon  their  design,  while  it  indicated  the  haughty 
temper  of  their  sovereign.  Lord  Balmerino  had  the 
impression  that  the  paper  presented  by  Rothes  might 
be  toned  down  and  still  presented  to  the  King  as  a 
fresh  document.  He  drew  it  up  and  submitted  it  to 
Dunmore,  a  notary,  for  his  advice,  and  he,  under  a 
promise  of  secrecy,  showed  it  to  Hay  of  Naughton, 
Balmerino's  enemy.  Hay  copied  it,  and  sent  it  to  the 
Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews.  The  Prelate  went  to  Court 
and  read  the  document  before  the  King,  urging  him  to 
make  a  severe  example  of  some  of  those  in  connection 
with  it  as  a  warning  to  others.  The  King  issued  a 
commission  of  inquiry.  The  result  was  that  Balmerino 
was  arrested  on  a  charge  of  sedition,  and  every  effort 
made  to  have  him  condemned.  The  jury,  by  the  casting 
vote  of  Traquair,  the  chairman,  found  him  guilty,  and 
he  was  sentenced  to  death,  but  the  execution  of  the 
sentence  was  delayed.  The  tumult  of  the  people 
became  so  great  at  this  extreme  sentence  that  they 
threatened  to  break  the  door  of  the  prison  and  release 
Balmerino.  Traquair  hastened  to  Court,  and  advised 
the  King  that  in  the  present  condition  of  Scotland  it 
would  not  be  advisable  to  carry  out  the  sentence.  He 
was  soon  after  released.  At  this  date  the  Earl  of 


of  Cbarles  I.  57 

Kinnoull,  the  Lord   Chancellor,  died,  and  Archbishop 
Spottiswoode  was  appointed  to  succeed  him. 

In  Jannary,  1635,  Archbishop  Spottiswoode  was  made 
Lord  Chancellor  of  Scotland  ;  his  son,  Sir  Robert 
Spottiswoode,  was  president  of  the  Court  of  Session. 
In  May  following  Charles  appended  his  warrant  to  a 
Book  of  Canons  which  found  its  way  into  Scotland 
the  following  year.  Imposed  on  the  country  without 
reference  to  the  General  Assembly  or  Parliament,  this 
book  was  received  with  indignation.  By  it  the  King 
was  the  absolute  head  of  the  Church,  and  it  commanded 
the  acceptance  of  a  new  Service- Book,  which  was  in 
course  of  preparation,  and  which  the  people  were 
opposed  to.  In  October,  1634,  Charles  had  established 
a  new  Court  of  High  Commission  with  most  extensive 
powers.  This  court  would  compel  the  operation  of  the 
new  canons. 

As  soon  as  these  began  to  be  read  in  the  High  Church 
of  Edinburgh  a  tumult  took  place.  The  bishop,  Dr. 
Lindsay,  who  was  to  preach  that  day,  endeavoured  to 
make  peace,  but  without  effect.  The  same  disorders 
happened  in  many  churches  where  the  Service-Book  was 
attempted  to  be  read.  The  Lords  of  the  Council  issued 
several  proclamations  for  the  restoration  of  peace,  but 
without  effect.  The  Council  were  petitioned  by  some 
of  the  nobility  and  others  to  remove  the  Service-Book, 
Book  of  Canons,  and  the  High  Commission  Court. 
These  canons  are  said  to  have  been  prepared  by  Scotch 
bishops,  but  evidently  Archbishop  Laud  finally  revised 
them  in  terms  of  the  following  order  of  the  King : 
"  Canterbury,  I  would  have  you  and  the  bishop  of 
London  peruse  the  canons  which  are  sent  from  the 
bishops  of  Scotland  ;  and  to  your  best  skill  see  that 
they  be  well  fitted  for  Church  government,  and  as 
near  as  convenient  to  the  canons  of  the  Church  of 
England.  And  to  that  end  you,  or  either  of  you,  may 
alter  what  you  may  find  fitting ;  and  this  shall  be 
your  warrant." 1 

1  Prynne's  Hidden  Works. 


58  1Ros>al  Bouse  of  Stuart 

They  were  adopted  by  the  King,  and  were  as  much 
his  personal  act  as  if  he  had  penned  them  in  his  cabinet. 
A  complete  code  of  laws  for  the  government  of  a  church 
issued  by  a  sovereign  without  a  consultation  with  the 
representatives  of  that  church  is  unexampled  in 
European  history.1  In  further  development  of  this 
matter  there  was  found  in  Laud's  chambers  in  the 
Tower  the  following  document : — "  Charles  I. :  I  gave 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  command  to  make  the 
alterations  expressed  in  this  book,  and  to  fit  a  liturgy 
for  the  Church  of  Scotland  ;  and  wherever  they  differ 
from  another  book  signed  by  me  at  Hampton  Court, 
28th  September,  1634,  our  pleasure  is  to  have  these 
followed  rather  than  the  former,  unless  the  Archbishop 
of  St.  Andrews  and  his  brethren  see  reason  for  the 
contrary. —  Whitehall,  i$th  April,  1636." 

Some  of  the  Puritans  had  written  against  these 
innovations,  and  against  the  bishops  who  were  the 
occasion  of  them.  At  the  instance  of  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  three  of  these  writers — Prynne,  Burton 
and  Bastwick — had,  by  command  of  the  King,  their  ears 
cut  off,  and  were  committed  to  gaol. 

The  history  of  Scotland  will  not  be  truly  understood 
by  anyone  who  fails  to  see  that  to  force  any  religion 
on  the  people  would  be  accepted  as  a  national  insult. 
Laud  and  his  party  were  plotting  the  gradual  restora- 
tion of  Popery  in  England.  The  Service- Book  and 
liturgy  was  to  be  the  ritual  of  all  the  churches  in 
Scotland  at  Easter,  1637,  but  it  was  postponed.  On 
the  i6th  July  it  was  announced,  by  command  of  the 
King,  that  it  would  be  used  in  the  churches  of  Edinburgh 
the  following  Sunday.  Whenever  the  Dean  of  Edinburgh 
opened  the  fatal  volume  on  that  day  a  scene  occurred  ; 
books  and  other  missiles  were  thrown  at  the  speaker, 
and  the  bishop  of  Edinburgh,  who  stood  up  to  rebuke 
the  rioters,  narrowly  escaped  a  blow  on  the  head  from 
a  stool.  For  a  month  after  this  riot  there  was  no 
divine  service  on  week-days.2  In  St.  Giles,  on  the 
1  Hill  Burton.  2  Gordon's  History. 


of  Gbarles  I.  59 

first  day  of  reading  the  liturgy  (23rd  July,  1637)  the 
Dean,  arrayed  in  his  surplice,  began  the  service,  the 
bishop  and  several  of  the  Privy  Council  being  present. 
No  sooner  had  the  Dean   opened   the   book   than    a 
multitude,  mostly  women,  clapping  their  hands,  cursing 
and  crying  out :  "  A  Pope  !  a  Pope  !  antichrist !   stone 
him,"  raised  such  a  tumult  that  it  was  impossible  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  service.     The  bishop  mounted  the  pulpit  in 
order  to  appease  the  audience,  and  had  a  stool  thrown  at 
him  accompanied  by  such  epithets  from  the  audience 
as  "  False  antichristian,"  "  Wolf,"  "  Beastly  belly-god," 
and  "  Crafty  fox."     The  Dean,  Dr.  Hannay,  ascended 
the  reading-desk,  and  commenced  the  litany.     Immedi- 
ately some  of  the  audience  cried  :  "  Son  of  a  witch's 
breeding,  and  the  devil's  get ;  "  "  No  healthsome  water 
can  come  forth  from  such  a  polluted   fountain  ; "  "  111 
hanged  thief;  if  at  that  time  when   thou  wentest   to 
court  thou  hadst  been  well  hanged  thou  hadst  not  been 
here  to   be  a  pest  to  God's  Church   this   day."     The 
Council  were  insulted,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
the  magistrates,  who  were  called  down  from  the  gallery 
by  Archbishop  Spottiswoode,  were  able  to  expel  the 
rabble  and  shut  the  doors.     The  tumult  continued  out- 
side ;  stones  were  thrown  at  the  doors  and  windows, 
and   when   the   service  was   ended  the   bishop,   going 
home,  was  attacked  and  narrowly  escaped  the  enraged 
multitude.      Some,    however,   could    not    effect    their 
escape,  and  it  is  recorded  that  a  good  Christian  woman, 
perceiving  that  she  could  get  no  passage  out,  betook 
herself  to  her  Bible  in  a  remote  corner  of  the  church. 
As  she  was  stopping  her  ears  at  the  voice  of  Popish 
charmers,  a  young  man  sitting  behind  her  began  to 
sound   forth   "  A-men."     At   the   hearing   of  this   she 
quickly  turned  about,  and  after  she  had  warmed  both 
his  cheeks  with  the  weight  of  her  hands  she  shot  this 
thunderbolt  at  him  :  "  False  thief,  is  there  no  other  part 
of  the  kirk  to  sing  mass  in  but  thou  must  sing  it  at  my 
lug  ? "     The  bishop  on  his  way  home  was  so  severely 
mobbed  that  he  had  to  take  refuge  in  a  citizen's  house. 


60  TCopal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

A  female  servant  of  the  family,  taking  notice  of  his 
coming,  made  the  door-cheek  and  his  mouth  to  be 
both  in  one  category.  A  certain  woman  from  the  mob 
cried  :  "  Fy,  if  I  could  get  the  thrapple  out  of  him  ; "  but 
another  replied,  if  she  got  her  desire  a  worse  one  might 
come  in  his  room.  She  replied  :  "  After  Cardinal 
Beaton  was  sticket,  we  had  never  another  cardinal  ; 
and  if  that  false  Judas  were  now  sticket,  scarce  any 
man  would  hazard  to  be  his  successor."  The  bishop 
was  at  last  rescued  by  the  Earl  of  Wemyss.1 

According  to  the  Privy  Council  records  all  classes  of 
the  people  petitioned  the  Council  against  the  Service- 
Book  and  Book  of  Canons,  and  the  supplicants  waited 
many  weeks  before  getting  satisfaction.  The  result 
was  the  issue  of  three  proclamations.  The  reading  of 
these  at  the  Mercat  Cross  incensed  the  people  of 
Edinburgh.  Their  first  opportunity  of  mischief  was 
afforded  by  the  bishop  of  Galloway  walking  openly 
along  the  street  to  the  Council  Chambers.  The  mob 
rushed  on  him,  and  he  fled  for  his  life  to  the  Council 
House.  There  he  was  besieged  by  the  mob,  and  when 
some  members  of  the  Council,  hearing  of  his  danger, 
went  to  his  relief,  they  too  were  pursued  by  the  mob 
to  the  door  of  the  Council  House,  and  held  prisoners 
there  till  they  got  within.  Traquair,  the  Lord  Treasurer, 
was  hustled  and  thrown  down,  and  without  hat  or  cloak 
he  was  carried  by  the  crowd  to  the  Council  House  door.2 
The  bishop  of  Galloway  was  the  public  enemy  who  made 
so  narrow  an  escape  from  the  second  tumult.  There 
he  was  assailed  as  "  Papist  loon ;  Jesuit  loon ;  betrayer 
of  religion,"  and  it  was  charged  against  him  that  he 
had  a  crucifix  in  his  cabinet  where  he  said  his 
prayers. 

William  Annan,  minister  of  Ayr,  preached  at  the 
opening  of  the  Diocesan  Assembly  of  Glasgow,  and 
attempted  to  defend  the  liturgy.  The  citizens  who 
disapproved  the  liturgy  were  exasperated,  and  when 
the  assembly  broke  up  Annan  was  assailed  by  an 
'  Lives  of  the  Lindsays.  2  Hill  Burton. 


of  Cbarles  I.  61 

infuriated  mob.  During  the  day  he  was  pursued  with 
hootings  and  execrations,  and  on  venturing  out  at  night 
was  assailed  by  a  multitude  of  women,  chiefly  the  wives 
of  burgesses,  and  was  grossly  insulted  and  maltreated. 
They  beat  him  with  their  fists  and  with  stones,  and 
pelted  him  with  peats  and  other  missiles,  and  after 
tearing  to  pieces  his  hat  and  coat  sent  him  in  that 
condition  to  his  home.  In  the  morning  when  about  to 
take  his  departure,  he  was  accompanied  to  his  horse  by 
the  magistrates  and  several  of  the  clergy  for  protection. 
The  people  collected  in  great  numbers,  and  his  horse, 
startled  by  their  appearance,  unfortunately  fell  as  soon 
as  Annan  had  mounted,  and  rolling  over  him  he  was 
so  besmeared  with  mud  that  it  was  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish the  colour  of  his  clothes.  This  called  forth 
great  merriment,  and  Annan,  in  a  most  undignified 
plight,  made  his  escape  amid  the  unrestrained  ridicule 
and  derision  of  the  people. 

For  some  time  these  vexatious  and  riotous  proceed- 
ings against  the  King  and  Laud  for  attempting  to  force 
a  liturgy  on  the  people  seriously  affected  the  civil 
administration  of  the  Crown ;  the  functions  of  govern- 
ment were  superseded ;  the  law  was  paralysed ;  the 
administration  of  justice  neglected  to  such  an  extent 
that  fraudulent  debtors  set  their  creditors  at  defiance ; 
and  in  the  North,  it  is  said,  depredation  and  murder 
were  perpetrated  openly  and  with  impunity. 

The  ist  March,  1638,  was  a  day  of  thanksgiving. 
The  Covenanters  assembled  in  the  Greyfriars,  Edin- 
burgh. After  sermon  the  Covenant  was  read,  when 
Lord  Loudoun,  the  Chancellor,  expatiated  to  the 
audience  on  the  importance  of  union  at  that  critical 
period,  and  exhorted  them  all  to  persevere  in  the  cause 
they  had  espoused.  The  noblemen  present  advancing 
to  the  table  subscribed  the  Covenant,  and  swore  to 
observe  the  duties  which  it  required.  Their  example 
was  followed  by  thousands  of  all  ranks  who  pressed 
forward  and  subscribed  with  enthusiasm.  The  vast 
sheet  of  parchment  was  in  a  short  time  covered 


62  IRoal  Uxwse  of  Stuart 


with  signatures,  and  for  want  of  room  some  members 
only  signed  their  initials.  This  was  a  death-blow 
to  the  liturgy  and  bishops.  It  is  said  so  great 
was  the  enthusiasm  that  some  signed  even  with 
their  blood.  A  supplication  by  the  Covenanters  was 
immediately  forwarded  to  the  King  showing  him  the 
feeling  of  the  Scottish  nation,  and  Hamilton  and  others 
at  Court  were  written  to  to  support  the  cause  with  the 
King.  The  King,  on  consideration,  felt  that  the  opposi- 
tion in  Scotland  was  too  powerful  to  be  regarded  with 
indifference,  and  he  resolved  to  send  a  High  Com- 
missioner to  act  as  mediator.  The  Privy  Council  sent 
Sir  John  Hamilton  (afterwards  Marquis  of  Hamilton) 
to  the  King  to  advise  him  of  the  state  of  matters  in 
Scotland,  and  to  declare  that  the  cause  of  these  troubles 
was  the  fear  apprehended  of  innovations  in  religion 
from  the  Service-Book  and  Book  of  Canons,  and  to 
suggest  to  the  King  not  to  urge  the  practice  of  the 
liturgy  against  the  will  of  the  people.  This  discreet 
advice  had  no  effect  on  the  King. 

The  subscribing  of  the  National  Covenant  began  ist 
March,  1638,  in  the  Greyfriars  Church  of  Edinburgh- 
The  Glasgow  General  Assembly  of  2ist  November, 
1638,  ratified  it,  and  the  Confession  of  Faith  which  it 
embraced  ;  and  deposed  the  whole  Hierarchy  which 
had  been  established  by  Charles.  It  was  subsequently 
ratified  by  the  second  Scottish  Parliament  of  Charles, 
held  at  Edinburgh  nth  June,  1640.  It  repudiated  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Pope,  and  all  observances  in  connection 
with  the  Romish  Church. 

At  this  point  we  have  a  new  act  in  the  drama,  which 
came  on  the  Scottish  people  as  a  great  surprise.  The 
King  ordered  Hamilton  to  issue  a  proclamation  dis- 
charging the  Service-Book  and  Book  of  Canons,  ordered 
a  General  Assembly  to  be  held  in  November,  and  a  free 
Parliament  thereafter  ;  the  bishops  to  be  handed  over 
to  the  Assembly  for  trial.  The  King  and  his  Court 
were  ostensibly  to  become  Covenanters,  and  all  their 
opponents  to  be  pardoned.  The  King  wrote  Hamilton 


of  Cbarles  I.  63 

on  loth  September:  "You  shall  in  full  and  ample 
manner,  by  proclamation  or  otherwise,  declare  that  we 
do  absolutely  revoke  the  Service-Book,  the  Book  of 
Canons  and  the  High  Commission.  You  shall  likewise 
discharge  the  practice  of  the  Five  Articles  of  Perth, 
notwithstanding  the  act  of  Parliament  which  commands 
the  same ;  and  in  the  said  proclamation  you  shall  pro- 
mise in  our  name,  that  if  in  the  first  Parliament  the 
Three  Estates  shall  think  fit  to  repeal  the  act  we  shall  give 
our  Royal  assent  thereto.  You  shall  also  declare  that  we 
have  authorised  the  lords  of  the  Privy  Council  to  sub- 
scribe the  Confession  of  Faith  and  bond  thereto  annexed 
subscribed  by  the  King  in  1580,  and  having  enjoined 
them  to  take  order  that  all  our  subjects  subscribe  the 
same." 

Next  followed  the  Glasgow  General  Assembly  of 
1638.  The  High  Commissioner,  the  Marquis  of 
Hamilton,  sat  on  a  canopied  throne  surrounded  by 
the  chief  officers  of  State.  There  were  seventeen  peers 
and  a  large  number  of  barons,  who  as  lay  elders  were 
members  of  Assembly.  Above  in  one  of  the  aisles, 
there  was  a  stage  for  young  nobles  and  men  of  rank 
not  members  of  Assembly ;  with  a  large  number  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  in  the  vaults  above.  There  were 
140  ecclesiastical,  and  100  lay  members.  The  first 
business  was  the  repeal  of  the  acts  of  preceding 
assemblies  from  1606  downwards,  including  the  Five 
Articles  of  Perth.  Then  the  Service-Book,  the  Book 
of  Canons,  and  the  Book  of  Ordination  were  severally 
repudiated,  as  also  Episcopal  government  in  the  Church. 
Then  followed  the  trial  of  the  fourteen  bishops.  The 
bishop  of  Dunblane  was  denounced  as  a  corrupter  of 
the  people,  by  the  spread  of  Arminianism  ;  Guthrie, 
bishop  of  Moray,  was  also  denounced,  as  also  the  bishop 
of  Edinburgh.  The  result  was  that,  of  the  fourteen 
bishops  found  guilty,  six  were  deposed,  eight,  including 
two  archbishops,  deposed  and  excommunicated.  The 
sentence  of  excommunication  placed  these  men  in 
great  peril.  They  could  hold  no  civil  rights,  they  were 


64  IRogal  fxmse  of  Stuart 

outlaws,  and  they  sought  refuge  in  England.  It  was 
further  enacted  that  no  minister  be  intruded  into  any 
parish  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  people.  The  High 
Commissioner,  seeing  how  matters  went,  was  dissatisfied 
with  what  he  considered  the  illegality  of  their  proceedings, 
and  announced  his  intention  of  dissolving  the  Assembly, 
which  he  did  on  8th  December,  in  the  King's  name. 
The  Moderator,  Alexander  Henderson,  told  him  they 
were  very  sorry  he  should  leave  them,  but  their  con- 
sciences bore  witness  that  they  had  done  nothing  amiss, 
and  could  not  desert  the  work  of  the  Lord.  They 
continued  their  sitting,  and  declared  the  proceedings  of 
the  six  former  assemblies  to  be  null  and  void.  The  King 
issued  a  declaration  against  their  procedure,  but  in  spite 
of  that  they  continued  their  sittings  till  2Oth  December, 
when  the  Assembly  was  dissolved  by  the  following  words 
of  the  Moderator : — "  We  have  now  cast  down  the 
walls  of  Jericho  ;  let  him  that  rebuildeth  them  beware  of 
the  curse  of  Hiel  the  Bethelite." 

The  Privy  Council  met  afterwards  at  Linlithgow, 
when  another  proclamation  was  issued,  intimating 
that  the  riotous  conduct  of  his  subjects  had 
caused  the  King  to  postpone  his  answer,  but  in  the 
meantime  he  assured  them  of  his  abhorrence  of  Popery. 
This  did  not  satisfy  the  Covenanters.  After  these 
proceedings  the  King  resolved  to  make  a  tour  through 
Fife,  of  which  county  the  Earl  of  Rothes  was  sheriff. 
He  and  Lord  Lindsay,  bailies  of  the  regality  of  St. 
Andrews,  desirous  of  showing  their  loyalty  to  the 
King,  assembled  their  friends  to  the  number  of  2,000 
horsemen  to  welcome  His  Majesty.  The  King's  ill- 
temper  at  Rothes  for  opposing  him  in  Parliament 
caused  him  to  change  his  route  and  go  to  Dunfermline 
by  a  private  road.  Rothes's  escort  having  waited  for 
some  hours,  became  aware  of  the  insult  they  had 
received,  and  indignantly  dispersed.  This  incident 
created  much  feeling  against  the  King,  and  was  another 
of  his  foolish  actions,  which  in  no  small  degree  tended 
to  set  up  the  people  against  him.  This  was  an 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  I.  65 

eventful  period  in  the  history  of  Scotland.  It  witnessed 
the  heroic  conduct  of  our  forefathers  in  the  sufferings 
they  endured,  and  the  battles  they  fought  on  behalf  of 
Protestant  Faith ;  and  the  blood  that  was  shed  in  that 
memorable  crisis  of  Scottish  history. 

The  effect  of  the  decision  of  the  Assembly  was  a 
pilgrimage  to  the  North  by  certain  nobles  for  the 
purpose  of  raising  support  for  the  Covenant.  This  was 
successful,  and  the  Scottish  nobles  who  went  there — 
Argyll  and  others — were  able  to  raise  3,000  or  4,000  men, 
and  with  that  force  they  were  determined  to  fight  the 
Royalists.  The  King,  assisted  by  Hamilton  and  Laud, 
made  formidable  preparation.  The  King  was  to  raise 
30,000  horse  and  foot,  and  to  lead  them  in  person  to 
Scotland ;  he  was  to  write  all  the  nobility  of  England 
to  wait  upon  him  with  their  attendants,  who  should  be 
paid  by  the  King ;  and  to  put  garrisons  in  Berwick  and 
Carlisle — 2,000  in  the  former,  and  500  in  the  latter.  On 
23rd  March,  1639,  General  Leslie,  at  the  head  of  a  party 
of  Covenanters,  demanded  possession  of  Edinburgh 
Castle,  which  was  refused,  but  Leslie  accomplished 
his  purpose.  On  2Oth  May,  1639,  the  Scots  army 
was  paraded  on  the  Links  at  Leith,  under  Leslie, 
and  next  day  the  march  to  the  English  border  began. 
The  army  consisted  of  22,000  foot  and  500  horse. 
When  it  reached  the  Berwickshire  coast  Lord  Holland 
handed  Leslie  a  proclamation  by  the  King,  stating 
that  if  the  Scots  came  within  ten  miles  of  the  border 
they  were  to  be  treated  as  rebels  and  to  be  attacked  by 
the  English.  The  Scots  agreed  to  keep  ten  miles 
distant. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  giving  Hamilton  a 
great  reception,  and  specially  to  show  him  the  strength 
of  the  Covenanters.  Upwards  of  20,000  of  them, 
consisting  of  noblemen,  gentlemen,  and  others  on  foot 
and  on  horseback  from  every  shire  of  the  kingdom, 
were  stationed  for  his  reception  between  Musselburgh 
and  Leith ;  600  clergymen  in  their  gowns  were 
conspicuously  posted  on  a  rising  ground,  and  a  vast 

VOL.    II.  E 


66  racial  tbouse  of  Stuart 

number  of  persons  of  all  ranks  and  of  both  sexes  lined 
the  entire  way  to  Edinburgh.  The  whole  multitude 
was  estimated  at  50,000.  As  Hamilton  rode  slowly 
along  through  this  great  assembly,  and  between  two 
rows  of  Covenanters,  he  was  assailed  on  every  side  with 
earnest  supplications  to  advise  the  King  to  deliver  them 
from  the  bishops  and  books,  give  them  free  exercise  of 
their  religion,  and  restore  their  ministers.  Hamilton 
was  deeply  touched,  and  stated  that  if  the  King  had 
been  there  and  witnessed  it  he  would  never  have 
pressed  his  obnoxious  measure  on  such  a  people. 
Hamilton  remained  some  time  at  Holyrood  and  had 
many  interviews  with  the  Covenanters,  but  nothing  came 
of  his  visit  and  he  returned  to  London.  Three  months 
after  the  King  sent  him  on  a  second  visit  to  Edinburgh 
to  try  and  come  to  terms  with  the  Covenanters,  but  that 
visit  also  failed. 

Hamilton  was  thereafter  sent  on  a  third  mission  to 
Edinburgh  (i/th  September),  as  the  King  was  anxious  to 
avoid  a  rupture  with  the  Covenanters.  Hamilton  was 
commissioned  to  grant  nearly  everything  that  they  had 
originally  demanded,  the  recall  of  the  Service-Book  and 
Canons,  the  abolition  of  the  Court  of  High  Commission, 
the  suspension  of  the  Articles  of  Perth,  the  summoning 
of  a  free  Parliament,  and  the  subjection  of  the  bishops 
to  the  General  Assembly.  The  King  also  gave 
Hamilton  secret  instructions  which  would  counteract 
this  ordinance :  all  which  showed  his  insincerity.  The 
General  Assembly  was  convened  in  November,  and 
Hamilton  did  not  return  to  London  till  5th  January, 
1639.  Parliament  met  at  Edinburgh,  I5th  May,  1639, 
but  was  immediately  prorogued.  Leslie  was  appointed 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army,  and  Balmerino, 
Governor  of  Edinburgh  Castle. 

On  9th  June,  1639,  the  King  and  the  Covenanters, 
having  each  mustered  their  forces,  commissioners 
assembled  according  to  the  King's  appointment  in 
Lord  Arundel's  tent  at  Berwick ;  but  they  had  scarcely 
entered  when  the  King  make  his  appearance.  Address- 


of  Cbarles  I.  67 

ing  the  Scots  deputies,  he  said  he  was  informed  they 
had  complained  that  they  could  not  be  heard,  and 
therefore  he  was  now  come  to  hear  what  they  would 
say.  Rothes  replied  that  they  required  only  to  be 
secured  in  their  religion  and  liberties.  The  King  said 
if  they  had  come  to  sue  for  grace  they  should  specify  in 
writing  all  their  desires,  which  would  be  considered. 
This  was  done ;  they  begged  that  the  acts  of  the 
General  Assembly,  passed  at  Glasgow,  should  be  ratified 
by  Parliament  on  23rd  July ;  that  all  ecclesiastical 
matters  should  be  determined  by  the  Kirk,  and  all  civil 
by  Parliament,  to  be  held  at  least  once  in  two  or  three 
years ;  that  all  troops  be  recalled,  and  persons  and 
goods  arrested  be  restored ;  that  excommunicated 
persons  and  disturbers  of  the  peace  be  allowed  to  suffer 
their  deserved  censure  and  punishment.  The  King 
desired  them  to  give  their  reasons  for  these  requests, 
when  John  Campbell,  Earl  of  Loudoun,  on  his  knees 
said :  "  That  their  demands  were  only  to  enjoy  their 
religion  and  liberties  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom."  The  King  required  two  days  for  delibera- 
tion ;  at  the  expiry  of  which  time  he  agreed  to  these 
requests ;  but  a  week  afterwards  he  changed  his 
mind. 

Before  his  return  to  London  the  King  sent  for  fourteen 
of  the  leading  Covenanters  to  meet  him  at  Berwick,  to 
see  what  effect  Royal  persuasion  might  have  upon  them. 
Six  only  obeyed  the  summons,  and  of  these  Montrose 
alone  was  gained  over  to  the  King's  side.  Being  now 
in  the  Royal  favour,  he  left  the  cause  of  the  Covenanters 
and  determined  to  support  the  King. 

On  4th  August,  1639,  at  a  meeting  of  the  English 
Council,  the  King  drew  attention  to  a  paper  containing 
an  account  of  the  conference  from  the  Scots  side,  and 
he  characterised  it  as  being  full  of  falsehoods,  dishonour 
and  scandal  to  the  King's  proceedings  at  the  late 
pacification.  The  Council  resolved  that  the  paper 
should  be  publicly  burned  by  the  hangman.  The 
General  Assembly  met  at  Edinburgh  on  I2th  August, 


68  IRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


the  Earl  of  Traquair  commissioner.  Care  was  taken  to 
exclude  opponents  to  the  Covenant.  An  act  was  passed 
concerning  the  Canons  and  remedies  of  the  bygone 
evils  of  the  Kirk.  It  enumerated  the  Five  Articles  of 
Perth  ;  the  establishment  of  bishops  ;  the  Service- 
Book,  Book  of  Canons,  and  other  grievances;  and 
declared  them  to  be  still  abjured  and  unlawful,  and 
condemned  Episcopacy  as  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God. 
The  Assembly  ratified  the  Covenant,  ordaining  the  same 
to  be  sworn  and  subscribed  by  the  nation. 

This  Assembly,  to  complete  its  victory,  desired  to 
obtain  the  Royal  sanction  to  the  National  Covenant, 
and  the  assent  of  Traquair,  the  Commissioner,  was 
actually  obtained  more  readily  than  they  had  antici- 
pated, under  reservation,  however,  that  as  he  understood 
it  was  the  same  as  that  signed  by  James  VI.  ;  and  for 
the  sake  of  settling  a  perfect  peace  he  consented  to  let 
the  Covenant  be  subscribed  throughout  the  kingdom. 
The  King  was  displeased  at  Traquair  for  this. 

On  3ist  August,  the  day  after  the  rising  of  the 
Assembly,  Parliament  assembled.  Traquair  rode  in 
great  state  from  Holyrood  attended  by  forty-five  nobles, 
forty-eight  representatives  of  shires,  and  fifty-one  repre- 
sentatives of  burghs,  the  crown,  sceptre,  and  sword  of 
State  being  carried  by  Argyll,  Crawford  and  Suther- 
land. The  first  business  was  to  appoint  the  Lords  of 
the  Articles  ;  eight  bishops  nominated  eight  nobles  ; 
these  jointly  nominated  eight  barons  ;  and  the  whole 
nominated  eight  burgesses.  This  Parliament  abolished 
Episcopacy,  and  after  the  conclusion  of  its  business  was 
prorogued  and  appointed  to  meet  again  in  June,  1640. 
It  was  evident,  however,  that  until  Charles  ratified 
these  acts  of  Parliament  against  Episcopacy  the 
Covenanters  could  have  no  security  for  the  future. 

On  2Oth  February,  1640,  commissioners  from  the 
Scottish  Parliament,  consisting  of  John  Campbell,  Earl 
of  Loudoun,  Lord  Dunfermline,  Sir  William  Douglas, 
and  the  Provost  of  Irvine,  had  an  interview  with  the 
King  for  the  purpose  of  defending  and  vindicating  the 


TRefcjn  of  Gbarles  I.  69 

position  taken  up  by  the  Scots.  Loudoun,  who  was  a 
very  clever  man,  was  spokeman.  Several  interviews 
took  place,  and  eventually  a  letter  was  discovered 
written  to  the  King  of  France  (but  not  sent)  inviting 
assistance.  This  letter  bore  Loudoun's  signature  as 
well  as  that  of  others.  The  King  was  in  indignation, 
declared  Loudoun  guilty  of  treason,  and  ordered  him 
to  be  immediately  beheaded.  Sir  William  Balfour, 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  unwilling  to  put  a  nobleman 
to  death  without  trial,  carried  the  warrant  to  Lord 
Hamilton,  and  desired  him  to  intercede  with  the  King. 
These  two  men  obtained  access  to  the  King  at  mid- 
night, when  he  had  retired  to  rest.  The  King, 
anticipating  their  errand,  exclaimed  as  soon  as  they 
entered  his  presence :  "  By  God,  it  shall  be  executed." 
Hamilton  represented  to  him  the  odium  he  would  incur 
by  putting  a  nobleman  to  death  without  conviction  or 
trial ;  if  he  persevered  in  his  resolution  Scotland  would 
be  lost  for  ever,  and  his  own  person  put  in  danger  from 
the  resentment  of  the  people.  The  King  called  for 
the  warrant,  tore  it  to  pieces,  and  sullenly  dismissed 
Hamilton  and  Balfour.  Loudoun  afterwards  regained 
the  King's  favour,  and  in  1641  was^made  a  Privy 
Councillor  and  Lord  Chancellor  of  Scotland. 

The  English  Parliament  met  on  I3th  April,  when 
Charles  made  an  appeal  for  an  immediate  grant  of 
money  to  fight  the  Scots.  Parliament  considered  that 
the  public  grievances  should  take  precedence  of  his 
application  and  everything  else,  and  they  proceeded 
to  business,  letting  him  understand  that  its  sympathies 
were  more  with  the  Scots  than  himself.  The  King, 
irritated  at  the  treatment  of  his  application,  dissolved 
Parliament  in  the  following  terms : — 

My  lords,  I  never  came  here  upon  so  unpleasing  an 
errand,  being  for  the  dissolving  of  a  Parliament.  Many 
wonder  why  I  did  not  rather  choose  to  do  this  by  proxy, 
it  being  a  general  maxim  of  kings  to  lay  hard  work 
upon  their  ministers,  themselves  executing  pleasing 


7°  1Ro$al  tbouse  of  Stuart 

things ;  considering  that  justice  is  as  impartial  in 
commending  and  rewarding  virtue  as  in  punishing 
vice.  I  thought  it  necessary  to  come  here  to-day  to 
declare  to  you  that  it  was  only  the  disobedient  attitude 
of  the  Lower  House  that  had  caused  this  dissolution,  and 
that  you,  my  lords,  are  so  far  from  being  causers  of  it, 
that  I  have  implicit  faith  in  your  obedience  and  your 
attitude  towards  me.  I  have  cause  to  disapprove  these 
proceedings,  yet  I  must  say  that  they  do  mistake  me 
wondrously  who  think  that  I  lay  the  fault  equally  upon 
the  Lower  House,  for  I  know  that  there  are  many  there 
who  are  as  loyal  subjects  as  any  in  the  world.  I  know 
that  it  was  only  some  vipers  amongst  them  who  cast 
this  first  disobedience  before  their  eyes,  although  there 
were  some  who  could  not  be  infected  with  this  contagion  ; 
some  who  seem  by  their  speaking.  .  .  .  To  conclude,  my 
lords,  as  those  ill-affected  persons  must  have  their 
reward,  so  you  of  the  Upper  House  may  justly  claim 
from  me  that  protection  and  favour  that  a  good  king 
bears  to  his  faithful  and  loving  subjects. 
Parliament  was  then  dissolved. 

The  King  having  dissolved  Parliament  in  this 
arrogant  manner,  was  compelled  to  seek  money  else- 
where ;  and  it  is  recorded  that  he  made  the  most 
desperate  efforts  to  obtain  supplies,  independent  of 
Parliament.  His  procedure  was  illegal,  dishonourable 
and  oppressive  ;  he  ordered  the  counties  to  advance 
coat  and  conduct  money  for  their  troops  ;  he  purchased 
on  credit  from  the  East  India  merchants  all  their  pepper, 
and  resold  it  under  its  value  for  ready  money ;  he 
exacted  a  bonus  of  ^"40,000  from  the  merchants  who 
had  bullion  deposited  for  safety  in  the  Tower,  under 
threat  of  seizing  the  whole  in  case  of  refusal ;  and  he 
levied  a  contribution  to  a  large  amount  on  the  city  of 
London,  under  pain  of  forfeiting  its  privileges  as  a 
corporation.  Between  the  dissolution  and  the  Long 
Parliament  was  an  interval  of  a  few  months,  during 
which  time  the  yoke  was  severely  pressed  down  upon 


IRefgn  of  Cbarles  I.  71 

the  nation,  while  the  spirit  of  the  people  resented  this 
more  than  ever.  Members  of  the  House  of  Commons 
were  questioned  by  the  Privy  Council  respecting  their 
Parliamentary  conduct,  and  actually  thrown  into  prison 
for  refusing  to  reply.  The  Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs  of 
London  were  threatened  with  imprisonment  for  remiss- 
ness  in  collecting  money.  Soldiers  were  enlisted  by 
force,  and  money  for  their  support  exacted  from  other 
counties.  Torture  was  inflicted  for  the  last  time  in 
England  in  May,  1640.  The  arrogant  conduct  of  the 
King  compelled  the  Scots  to  take  up  arms  in  their  own 
defence. 

In  the  middle  of  July,  1640,  General  Leslie  and  the 
Covenanters  mustered  at  Douglas  a  force  of  20,000  foot 
and  2,500  horse.  This  army  was  to  abide  some  time 
on  the  border,  and  then,  if  necessary,  go  into  England- 
On  2Oth  August  they  crossed  the  Tweed  at  Coldstream; 
at  Newburn,  five  miles  from  Newcastle,  the  English, 
under  General  Conway,  met  them,  when  a  battle  took 
place  not  of  a  serious  character,  but  the  Scots  defeated 
the  English,  and  Newcastle  was  thereafter  captured  by 
the  Covenanters  ;  also  Durham,  Tynemouth  and  Shields. 
The  King  received  this  news  at  York,  where  he  had 
just  arrived.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  financial  trouble, 
not  being  able  to  find  money  to  pay  his  soldiers  when 
his  defeated  troops  came  in  upon  him.  The  victors 
had  let  it  be  known  that  they  were  prepared  to  march 
to  York  ;  meantime  they  proceeded  to  Durham.  In 
the  discussion  which  ensued  the  King's  Council  recom- 
mended the  holding  of  a  conference  at  Ripon  on  ist 
October,  to  which  the  Scots  -should  send  eight  repre- 
sentatives and  the  English  sixteen.  This  commission 
duly  met,  transacted  some  important  business,  and 
eventually,  at  the  King's  request,  adjourned  to  London, 
and  was  not  again  heard  of. 

By  this  treaty  it  was  stipulated  that  both  armies 
should  be  kept  on  foot,  that  there  should  be  a  truce  for 
two  months,  during  which  time  the  Scots  army  should 
receive  ^850  per  day,  subsistence,  which  they  were 


72  IRo^al  Ifcouse  of  Stuart 


allowed  to  raise  in  Northumberland  and  the  North  of 
England,  and  in  default  of  payment  they  should  continue 
there  where  they  had  winter  quarters. 

In  the  interval  between  this  and  the  meeting  of 
Parliament  on  3rd  November,  the  Scots  army  was 
vastly  reinforced,  and  on  the  24th  September  the  King 
assembled  the  peers  at  York  to  discuss  the  situation, 
and  to  find  ways  and  means  how  the  army  was  to  be 
maintained  till  Parliamentary  supplies  might  be  had. 
It  was  resolved  to  borrow  from  the  city  of  London 
.£200,000,  and  commissioners  were  appointed,  who  duly 
negotiated  the  loan.  This  money  was  duly  paid  to  the 
Scots  by  the  King's  order,  and  the  Scots,  when  they 
recrossed  the  border,  could  boast  of  having  at  their 
credit  £200,000  of  English  gold. 

During  the  sitting  of  the  Court  at  York  the  King,  on 
24th  September,  1640,  addressed  the  lords  as  follows  :  — 

Upon  sudden  invasion,  where  the  dangers  are  near 
and  instant,  it  has  been  the  custom  of  my  predecessors 
to  assemble  the  Great  Council  of  the  peers,  and  by  their 
advice  and  assistance  to  give  remedy  to  such  evils  as 
could  not  admit  delay,  so  long  as  must  of  necessity  be 
allowed  for  the  assembling  of  Parliament.  This  being 
our  condition  at  this  time,  and  an  army  of  rebels  lodged 
within  this  kingdom,  I  have  thought  fit  to  conform 
myself  to  their  practices.  That  we  may  jointly  proceed 
to  the  chastising  of  their  insolence  and  the  security  of 
my  subjects  ;  in  the  first  place,  I  must  let  you  know 
that  I  desire  nothing  more  than  to  be  rightly  understood 
by  my  people,  and  to  that  end  I  have  resolved  to  call  a 
Parliament,  and  have  given  orders  to  the  Lord  Keeper 
and  Mr.  Attorney  for  the  writs  that  Parliament  may  be 
assembled  by  the  3rd  November  next,  whether,  if  my 
subjects  bring  their  good  intention,  which  become  them 
toward  me,  I  shall  not  fail  on  my  part  to  make  it  a 
happy  meeting.  In  the  meantime  there  are  two  points 
on  which  I  shall  desire  your  advice,  which  indeed  was 
the  chief  cause  of  your  meeting  ;  first,  what  answer  to 


TCefgn  of  Cbarles  I.  73 

give  to  those  petitions  of  the  rebels,  and  in  what  manner 
to  treat  with  them  that  ye  may  give  a  sure  judgment, 
I  have  ordered  that  your  lordships  shall  be  clearly 
informed  of  the  state  of  business,  and  upon  what  this 
advice  that  my  Privy  Council  unanimously  gave  me 
was  grounded  ;  the  second  thing,  how  my  army  may  be 
kept  afoot  and  maintained  until  a  supply  from  Parlia- 
ment may  be  had,  for  so  long  as  the  Scots  army  remain 
in  England  no  man  will  advise  me  to  disband  mine  ; 
for  that  would  be  an  unspeakable  loss  to  this  part  of 
the  kingdom,  by  subjecting  them  to  the  attacks  of  the 
rebels ;  besides  the  unspeakable  disgrace  that  would 
fall  upon  the  nation. 

The  Long  Parliament  met  at  Westminster  in 
November,  1640.  In  opening  this  famous  Parliament 
the  King  said  : — 

The  troubles  in  Scotland  have  been  the  occasion  of  the 
sitting  of  this  Parliament,  but  the  confidence  I  have  in 
you  is  the  principal  motive,  together  with  my  desire  to 
give  satisfaction  to  your  complaints  touching  several 
points  of  government.  I  am  fully  resolved  to  put 
myself  upon  your  affections,  even  as  to  those  things 
which  regard  myself,  and  consequently  much  more  in 
what  concerns  the  public,  wherein  we  have  both  an 
equal  interest.  You  will  find  such  sincerity  and  frank- 
ness in  my  proceedings  as  shall  remove  all  the  jealousy 
you  have  conceived  of  my  design,  and  shall  plainly 
perceive  that  your  liberties  were  never  safer  under  any 
reign  than  mine.  I  only  recommend  two  things  for 
your  consideration.  The  first,  to  find  out  the  proper 
means  to  drive  the  rebels  from  our  frontiers  which  they 
have  so  boldly  invaded  ;  the  second,  to  do  it  speedily, 
that  the  northern  counties  may  not  sink  under  the 
oppression  of  two  armies  that  live  upon  and  regard 
them  as  securities  to  furnish  all  their  wants.  In  all 
other  respects,  you  shall  find  me  so  easy  and  desirous 
to  give  you  satisfaction  that  much  trouble  will  be 


74  IRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

saved,  and  the  time  that  would  otherwise  be  spent  in 
debate  may  be  employed  in  executing  what  shall  be 
agreed. 

Parliament  compelled  him  to  pass  an  act  for  triennial 
Parliaments,  which  obliged  him  to  call  them  every  three 
years  ;  and  in  case  of  failure  on  his  part,  the  Keeper  of 
the  Great  Seal  and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Duchy  of 
Lancaster  were  empowered  to  convene  it.  Parliament 
was  not  to  be  dissolved  without  the  consent  of 
both  Houses ;  and  should  continue  sitting  so  long 
as  they  should  think  it  convenient  for  the  public 
good.1 

The  Star  Chamber,  the  High  Commission,  the 
Council  of  York  were  ordered  to  be  swept  away,  and 
prisoners  in  dungeons  set  at  liberty.  On  the  chief 
ministers  of  the  Crown  the  vengeance  of  the  nation 
was  unsparingly  exercised  in  respect  of  their  mis- 
government  of  the  nation  during  the  preceding  eleven 
years.  These  years  covered  the  intolerable  persecution 
that  went  on  in  Scotland  to  impose  a  liturgy  on  the 
people,  which  called  forth  the  resistance  of  the 
Covenanters.  This  Parliament  resolved  to  take  the 
bull  by  the  horns,  and  ordered  the  impeachment  of 
the  Earl  of  Strafford,  Charles's  principal  minister, 
Finch,  the  Lord  Keeper,  and  Archbishop  Laud. 
Finch  escaped  to  the  Continent,  but  the  other 
two  were  arrested  and  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  of 
London. 

This  Parliament  remembered  the  dissolution  in  the 
fourth  year  of  his  reign,  and  the  untrue  and  scandalous 
declaration  thereupon,  the  imprisonment  of  several 
members  after  that  dissolution,  and  detaining  them 
prisoners  for  words  spoken  in  Parliament ;  one  of 
whom  died  in  prison  for  want  of  ordinary  food  .  .  .  whose 
blood,  they  said,  cried  for  vengeance.  They  reproached 
the  King  with  injustice,  oppression  and  violence ;  with 
the  great  sums  of  money  he  had  exacted  throughout 
1  It  was  dissolved  by  Cromwell  in  1648. 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  75 

the  kingdom  for  default  of  knighthood ;  with  advancing 
rates  and  laying  new  impositions  on  trade ;  with  the 
odious  monopolies  of  wine,  soap,  salt,  leather  and  sea 
coal ;  with  raising  great  sums  of  money  for  licenses  to 
build ;  with  seizing  the  merchants'  money  in  the  Mint, 
and  an  abominable  system  of  making  brass  money ; 
forcing  Scotland  to  raise  an  army  in  its  own  defence, 
and  raising  an  army  against  them  ;  with  the  pacifica- 
tion and  breach  of  that  agreement ;  also  that  he  called 
a  Parliament  after  in  hope  to  corrupt  it  and  make  it 
countenance  the  war  in  Scotland ;  which,  when  he 
found  it  would  not  do  he  dissolved  it,  and  then  com- 
mitted members  to  prison ;  compelled  men  to  lend 
money  against  their  wills,  and  imprisoned  those  who 
refused.1 

Some  time  after,  Thomas  Wentworth,  Earl  of 
Strafford,  the  devoted  friend  and  companion  of  the 
King,  was  impeached  by  Pym  and  other  members  of 
Parliament,  and  was  tried  and  condemned.  He  was  in 
the  prime  of  life,  having  been  born  in  1593.  On 
account  of  his  energy,  his  capacity  and  his  adminis- 
trative talents,  he  was  considered  the  chief  minister 
of  Charles.  He  had  induced  the  Parliament  of  Ireland 
to  advance  large  sums  of  money  to  enable  Charles  to 
fight  the  Scots,  and  it  is  said  he  obliged  the  Scots  who 
lived  in  Ireland  to  renounce  the  Covenant  ;  while  he 
proclaimed  the  Covenanters  rebels  and  traitors.  His 
authority  and  influence  was  unlimited.  He  was  a  man 
of  a  cruel  and  imperious  nature.  His  object  was  to 
put  the  estates  and  personal  liberty  of  the  people  at 
the  disposal  of  the  Crown ;  to  deprive  courts  of  law  of 
independent  authority  ;  to  punish  those  who  murmured 
at  the  acts  of  the  Government,  or  who  applied  to  any 
tribunal  for  relief  against  these.2  The  Star  Chamber 
was  a  political,  the  High  Commission  a  religious, 
inquisition.  Guided  chiefly  by  the  violent  spirit  of 
Archbishop  Laud,  and  freed  from  the  control  of 
Parliament,  he  displayed  an  amount  of  violence  that 
1  Chamber's  Rebellion.  2  Macaulay. 


76  1Ro£al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

had  hitherto  been  unknown.  We  are  informed  by 
Clarendon  that  there  was  hardly  a  man  of  note  in 
the  realm  who  had  not  personal  experience  of  the 
tyranny  of  the  Star  Chamber ;  that  the  High  Com- 
mission had  so  conducted  itself  that  it  had  scarcely 
a  friend  left  in  the  kingdom,  and  that  the  tyranny 
of  the  "Council  of  fools"  (Stafford's  Council)  had 
made  the  great  charter  a  dead  letter  north  of  the 
Trent.  Pym,  in  his  impeachment  of  Strafford, 
required  first  the  doors  of  the  House  of  Commons 
to  be  locked  and  the  keys  laid  on  the  table.  He 
then  proceeded  and  enumerated  all  the  grievances 
under  which  the  nation  laboured.  Where  Strafford 
had  been  intrusted  with  authority  he  had  raised 
monuments  of  tyranny.  It  belonged  to  the  House 
to  provide  a  remedy,  so  as  to  prevent  further 
mischief,  justly  to  be  apprehended  from  the  influence 
which  this  man  had  acquired  over  the  counsels  of 
their  sovereign.  The  trial  began  on  22nd  April,  1641, 
in  Westminster  Hall,  and  lasted  eighteen  days.  At 
the  upper  end  of  the  hall  was  placed  a  throne  for 
the  King  and  a  chair  for  the  Prince.  On  each  side 
of  the  throne  was  an  enclosure  covered  with  tapestry. 
In  one  of  these  sat  some  French  nobles  who  were 
then  in  England  ;  in  the  other  the  King  and  Queen, 
with  several  ladies  of  Court.  A  curtain  was  attached 
to  the  front  of  this  box  to  preserve  the  Royal  party 
unseen,  but  the  King  tore  it  down  with  his  own  hands. 
The  Queen  and  her  ladies  were  observed  taking  notes 
during  the  trial.  Immediately  under  the  throne  sat 
the  peers  in  their  Parliamentary  robes,  and  near  them 
the  judges  on  woolsacks  in  scarlet  gowns.  Lower 
down  were  ten  ranges  of  seats  for  members  of  the 
House  of  Commons.  Strafford  employed  four  secre- 
taries, who  sat  at  a  desk  behind  him.  He  was 
brought  from  the  Tower  by  water  daily,  escorted 
by  six  barges  and  guarded  by  100  soldiers.  On  his 
landing  at  Westminster,  he  was  received  by  100  men  of 
the  trained  bands,  who  conducted  him  to  the  hall, 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  77 

and  afterwards  guarded  the  doors.  Strafford  and  the 
peers  arrived  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  the  King 
half  an  hour  earlier.  The  Chamberlain  and  Black 
Rod  daily  brought  in  Strafford  to  the  hall ;  he  was 
dressed  in  black.  At  the  entry  he  made  a  low 
curtesy  ;  proceeding  a  little,  he  gave  a  second  ;  when 
he  came  to  his  desk,  a  third ;  then  at  the  bar  he 
kneeled ;  rising  quickly,  he  saluted  both  sides  of  the 
House  and  then  sat  down. 

It  would  appear  that  Strafford  supported  a  bill  for 
seizing  money  in  the  Tower,  the  property  of  foreign 
merchants.  In  his  defence  he  much  feared  the  reforma- 
tion which  was  begun  in  blood  would  not  prove  so 
fortunate  to  the  kingdom  as  they  expected  and  he 
wished.  He  Indulged  in  expressions  of  devotion  to  the 
Church  of  England  and  the  Protestant  religion  ;  of  his 
loyalty  to  the  King,  and  affection  for  the  peace  and 
welfare  of  the  realm.  Each  charge  against  him,  even  if 
proved,  did  not  amount  to  treason.  Pym  pointed  out 
that  Strafford  showed  an  intention  to  change  the  Govern- 
ment, which  was  in  itself  treason.  The  Commons  passed 
the  bill  of  impeachment  and  found  him  guilty.  When 
it  was  sent  up  to  the  Lords  they  showed  reluctance  to 
condemn  him.  The  Commons  thereupon  dropped  the 
impeachment,  and  brought  in  a  bill  of  attainder,  which 
was  passed,  fifty-nine  members  of  the  Commons  dis- 
senting. The  King  signed  this  bill  after  offering  all  the 
opposition  to  it  he  could.  During  the  trial,  the  King 
wrote  Strafford  : — 

Strafford,  the  misfortune  that  is  fallen  upon  you 
by  the  strange  mistaking  and  conjunction  of  those 
times  is  such  that  I  must  lay  by  the  thought  of  employ- 
ing you  hereafter  in  my  affairs ;  yet  I  cannot  rest  in 
honour  or  conscience  without  assuring  you,  in  the 
midst  of  all  your  troubles,  that  upon  the  word  of  a 
king,  you  shall  not  suffer  in  life,  honour  or  fortune. 
This  is  but  justice,  and  therefore  a  very  mean  reward 
from  a  master  to  so  faithful  and  able  a  servant  as  you 


78  iRo^al  ibouse  of  Stuart 


have  shown  yourself  to  be  ;  yet  it  is  as  much,  I  conceive, 
as  the  present  times  will  permit,  though  none  shall 
hinder  me  from  being  your  constant  and  faithful 
friend.  CHARLES  R. 

Strafford  relied  on  this  letter  to  save  his  life,  but  it 
did  not.  Charles  made  every  effort  to  save  his  friend. 
On  the  nth  May,  the  day  preceding  the  execution,  he 
sent  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  the  House  of  Lords  with  a 
letter  written  in  his  own  hand,  in  which  he  implored 
the  Lords  to  confer  with  the  Commons  and  endeavour 
to  spare  Strafford's  life,  but  it  was  unavailing.  When 
Secretary  Carleton  went  to  the  Tower  and  informed 
Strafford  he  was  to  die,  he  asked  whether  His  Majesty 
had  passed  the  bill,  not  believing  the  King  would  have 
done  it.  When  the  secretary  informed  him  it  was 
too  true,  he  rose  from  his  chair,  lifting  up  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  and,  laying  his  hand  on  his  head,  exclaimed  : 
"  Put  not  your  trust  in  princes  nor  in  the  sons  of  men, 
for  in  them  is  no  salvation."  Next  day  Strafford  was 
brought  from  the  Tower  and  beheaded  on  Tower 
Hill. 

Thus  fell,  the  historian  1  says,  the  greatest  subject  in 
power  in  England,  a  man  of  great  parts  and  extra- 
ordinary endowments  of  Nature.  He  had  readiness 
of  conception  and  sharpness  of  expression,  and  in  the 
words  of  Richelieu  :  "  The  English  nation  were  so 
foolish  that  they  would  not  let  the  wisest  head  among 
them  stand  upon  its  own  shoulders." 

The  King  left  London  for  Edinburgh  on  loth  August, 
1641,  accompanied  by  a  committee  of  Parliament  who 
would  watch  his  conduct,  as  he  had  by  his  systematic 
duplicity  rendered  himself  an  object  of  suspicion.  He 
was  received  during  his  progress  with  the  greatest 
coldness  everywhere.  On  the  I3th  August  he  halted 
at  Newcastle,  where  he  dined  with  General  Leslie. 
On  the  evening  of  the  I4th  he  reached  Holyrood, 
his  retinue  reduced  to  three  persons  —  his  nephew,  the 
1  Clarendon. 


IReign  ot  Cbarles  I.  79 

Elector    Palatine,   and  Lords  Lennox    and  Hamilton. 
He  issued  the  following  proclamation : — 

Whereas  the  King  intends  forthwith,  in  his  own 
person  or  by  his  lieutenants,  with  an  army,  to  go  to 
war  against  the  Scots  (by  God's  assistance)  to  redress 
their  treason  and  rebellion ;  and  for  that  end  hath 
already  begun  his  journey  to  the  North.  His  Majesty 
hereby  requires  and  charges  all  lords,  spiritual  and 
temporal,  barons,  baronets  and  squires,  and  all  others 
of  whatever  estate  or  condition  :  that  they  take 
knowledge  of  this  His  Majesty's  summons,  and  before 
the  2oth  day  of  September  next  be  prepared  with 
horses  and  arms  for  performance  of  service  at  the  town 
of  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  or  such  other  place  where  His 
Majesty's  forces  shall  be ;  from  there  to  go  with  His 
Majesty  or  his  officers  in  war  against  the  rebels.  .  .  . 
Given  at  the  Court  at  Whitehall  2oth  August,  in  the 
sixteenth  year  of  His  Majesty's  reign,  1641. 

The  General  Assembly  and  Parliament  both  met  at 
Edinburgh  on  i$th  July,  1641,  the  Assembly  holding 
its  sittings  in  the  forenoon  of  each  day,  and  Parliament 
in  the  afternoon.  The  Assembly  was  opened  by  the 
Earl  of  Wemyss  as  High  Commissioner,  who  delivered 
a  message  from  the  King  intimating  an  intention  to 
secure  the  liberties  of  the  Church,  and  to  appoint  to 
vacant  parishes  only  able  and  efficient  ministers. 
Parliament  was  asked  to  excuse  the  King's  attendance 
until  1 5th  August. 

The  King  attended  the  Parliament  at  Edinburgh  on 
iQth  August,  when  he  delivered  the  following  speech: — 

My  lords  and  gentlemen,  there  hath  been  nothing  so 
displeasing  to  me  as  these  unhappy  differences  which 
have  occurred  between  me  and  my  people,  and  nothing 
that  I  have  more  desired  than  to  see  that  day  wherein 
I  hope  not  only  to  settle  these  differences  but  rightly  to 
know  and  to  be  known  by  my  native  country.  I  need 


8o  1Ro£al  Douse  ot  Stuart 

not  tell  you  what  difficulties  I  have  passed  through  and 
overcome  to  be  here  at  present.  If  love  had  not  been 
the  chief  motive  to  this  journey,  other  arrangements 
might  have  been  made  to  do  by  a  commission  what  I  am 
come  to  perform  myself.  And  this  considered,  I  cannot 
doubt  of  such  real  proof  of  your  affection  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  Royal  power  which  I  enjoy  after  108 
descents,  and  which  you  have  professed  to  maintain, 
and  to  which  your  own  national  oath  doth  oblige  you  ; 
and  shall  not  think  any  pains  ill  bestowed.  The 
object  of  my  coming  here  is  briefly  this  :  To  perfect 
whatever  I  have  promised,  and  to  quiet  the  distractions 
which  have  and  may  fall  out  amongst  you  ;  and  this 
I  mean  not  superficially,  but  fully  and  cheerfully  to 
perform.  .  .  .  Wherefore,  not  desiring  to  limit  myself 
to  words,  I  desire  in  the  first  place  to  settle  that  which 
concerns  the  religion  and  just  liberties  of  this  my  native 
country  before  I  proceed  to  any  act. 

This  Parliament  ratified  the  Treaty  of  York,  and 
instructed  His  Majesty  to  nominate  the  officers  of 
State,  Privy  Councillors  and  Lords  of  Session.  The 
King  then  bestowed  the  following  honours  : — The  Earl 
of  Argyll  to  be  Marquis  ;  General  Leslie  to  be  Earl  of 
Leven  ;  John  Campbell  to  be  Earl  of  Loudoun  ;  Sir 
John  Scrimgeour  of  Dudhope  to  be  Viscount  of 
Dundee;  Sir  Andrew  Moray  of  Balvaird,  minister  of 
Abdie,  to  be  Lord  Balvaird.  The  King  returned  to 
London  on  igth  November.  Clarendon  adds:  "And 
conferred  other  honours  on  persons  according  to  the 
capacity  and  ability  they  had  in  doing  him  mischief." 

On  23rd  November,  1641,  the  Long  Parliament  having 
reassembled,  passed  the  famous  Remembrance,  in  which 
it  proposed  that  in  order  the  better  to  effect  a  reformation 
in  the  Church  there  should  be  a  general  Synod  of  divines, 
who  should  consider  all  things  necessary  for  its  peace 
and  good  government.  Out  of  this  proposal  sprang  the 
Westminster  Assembly  to  settle  the  government  and 
liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  ordinance 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  I.  81 

summoning  this  assembly  was  issued  on  I2th  June, 
1643.  It  began  its  sittings  shortly  after  and  sat  till 
February,  1649.  It  consisted  of  121  clergymen,  10 
lords,  and  20  commoners,  and  during  the  period  stated 
the  sittings  numbered  163. 

Note. — Sir  John  Lyon,  first  Lord  Glamis,  ancestor  of  the 
Chancellor  who  was  accidentally  shot  at  Stirling  in  1578,  was  for 
three  years  Lord  Chamberlain  of  Scotland.  He  married  Lady 
Jean  Stuart,  daughter  of  Robert  II.,  by  Elizabeth  Mure.  On 
account  of  a  quarrel  with  Sir  James  Lindsay  of  Crawford  he  was, 
in  1383,  slain  by  Lindsay  in  a  duel  at  Balhall,  near  Forfar. — (See 
p.  486,  vol.  i.) 


VOL.  n. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Bishops  and  the  King — Twelve  Bishops  charged  with  treason 
— King  demands  five  M.P.'s  to  be  delivered  up — King  takes 
Speaker's  chair — He  is  assaulted  by  the  mob — Commons 
disregard  King's  authority — King  refuses  to  ratify  decrees  of 
Parliament — He  removes  to  York — Kingand  Parliament  quarrel 
— Impeachment  of  the  York  Lords — Battle  of  Edgehill — King 
escapes  to  Oxford — Propositions  for  peace — Solemn  League 
and  Covenant — Oxford  Parliament — Battle  of  Marston  Moor 
— Execution  of  Archbishop  Laud  —Battles  of  Tibbermore, 
Alford,  Kilsyth — Montrose  and  Leslie  at  Philiphaugh — 
Montrose  escapes  to  Norway — Returns  to  Scotland  and 
captured — The  Uxbridge  Conference — Battle  of  Naseby — 
King  escapes  to  Wales — Trial  of  President  Spottiswoode — 
Parliament  refuses  to  recognise  the  King — Queen  escapes  to 
France. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  I. 

A.D.    1625 — 1649. 

ON  25th  November,  1641,  the  King  on  his  return  from 
Edinburgh  was  entertained  in  the  Guildhall  by  the  Lord 
Mayor  and  Corporation  of  London.  The  Queen  and 
Royal  family  were  present,  and  the  lords  and  ladies  of 
the  Court,  and  the  entertainment  is  said  to  have  been 
on  a  magnificent  scale.  His  Majesty  was  thereafter 
escorted  to  Whitehall,  and  next  day  he  went  to 
Hampton  Court.  There  a  petition  was  presented  to 
him  by  the  Commons  to  remove  the  bishops  from  the 
House  of  Lords  by  cancelling  their  power ;  to  abolish 
the  ceremonies  in  the  liturgy,  and  remove  such  of  his 
ministers  as  were  suspected  by  Parliament  of  voting. 
This  movement  grew  to  be  of  a  formidable  character, 
and  twelve  bishops  petitioned  against  it.  The  House 
of  Lords  having  read  these,  desired  a  conference  with 
the  House  of  Commons.  On  this  being  granted,  it 
would  seem  that  the  latter  took  very  little  time  to 

82 


CHARLES   I. 

King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Vandyck,  in  the  Collection  of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke.) 


To  face  p.  82 


of  Gfoarles  I.  83 

consider  the  matter,  but  within  half  an  hour  they  sent 
up  to  the  Lords  and  accused  the  bishops  who  had 
signed  the  petition  of  high  treason,  on  which  the 
whole  twelve  were  committed  to  prison,  and  remained 
in  the  Tower  until  the  bill  for  putting  them  out  of  the 
House  was  passed,  which  was  not  for  some  months 
thereafter.  In  the  House  of  Commons  there  was  only 
one  member  who  spoke  on  their  behalf.  "  He  did  not 
believe  they  were  guilty  of  high  treason,  but  that  they 
were  stark  mad,  and  therefore  desired  they  might  be 
sent  to  Bedlam." ' 

The  bishops  were  subjected  to  much  persecution  by 
the  mob.  Between  the  city  and  Westminster,  according 
to  Clarendon,  the  rabble  would  make  a  stand  before 
Whitehall,  crying  out :  "  No  bishops,  no  bishops,  no 
Popish  lords  ;  they  would  have  no  more  porters'  lodge, 
but  would  speak  with  the  King  when  they  pleased." 
When  they  came  near  the  Houses  of  Parliament  the 
mob  took  papers  out  of  their  pockets,  and  getting  upon 
some  place  higher  than  the  rest,  would  read  the  names 
of  several  persons  under  the  title  of  disaffected  members 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  called  many  persons 
"  False,  evil  and  rotten-hearted  lords."  Their  rage 
and  fury  against  the  bishops  grew  so  high  that  they 
threatened  to  pull  down  their  lodgings  where  they  lay  ; 
offered  to  force  the  doors  of  Westminster  Abbey,  which 
were  kept  locked  for  some  time,  and  defended  by  a 
guard  within.  They  assaulted  some  of  the  bishops  in 
their  coaches,  laid  hands  on  the  Archbishop  of  York  in 
such  manner  that  if  he  had  not  been  promptly  rescued 
it  was  believed  they  would  have  murdered  him.  The 
bishops  withdrew  from  Parliament  for  safety  and  sent 
a  petition  to  the  King  protesting  that  they  had  a  right 
to  sit  and  vote  in  the  House  of  Lords  ;  and  if  protected 
from  violence  they  were  willing  to  perform  their  duty. 
They  abjured  Popery,  but  several  times  had  been 
violently  menaced,  affronted  and  assaulted  in  coming  to 
Parliament ;  had  been  chased  away  and  put  in  danger 
1  Clarendon. 


84  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


of  their  lives,  and  could  find  no  redress  though  com- 
plaints had  been  made  to  both  Houses.  This  petition 
the  King  sent  to  Parliament  ;  the  bishops  because  of  it 
were  indicted  for  high  treason  and  put  in  prison,  where 
they  remained  no  less  than  eighteen  weeks.  On  I7th 
January,  1642,  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Commons 
tried  the  bishops  before  the  House  of  Lords.  The  trial 
was  very  protracted,  and  it  was  not  till  5th  May  that 
the  sentence  was  pronounced  releasing  them  on  bail, 
the  Archbishop  of  York  finding  bail  for  ,£5,000.  No 
more  was  heard  of  the  matter. 

We  come  now  to  a  more  serious  matter,  and  one  that 
alienated  the  King  from  Parliament  for  the  rest  of  his 
life.  Herbert,  the  King's  solicitor,  informed  the  House 
of  Lords  on  2nd  January,  1642,  that  the  King  com- 
manded him  to  accuse  Lord  Kimbolton,  a  member  of 
that  House,  and  five  leading  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  of  high  treason.  These  were  Pym,  chairman 
of  Committees,  Hollis,  Hampden,  Hazelrig  and  Strode. 
The  King,  whose  indignation  was  aroused  at  their 
impeachment  of  Strafford,  charged  them  :  —  That  they 
endeavoured  to  subvert  the  fundamental  laws  and 
government  of  the  kingdom,  and  deprive  the  King  of 
his  legal  authority,  and  to  give  his  subjects  arbitrary 
power  ;  that  they  endeavoured  to  alienate  the  affections 
of  his  people,  and  by  many  foul  aspersions  to  make 
the  King  odious  to  them  ;  they  endeavoured  to  make 
the  army  disobedient  to  the  King's  command,  and  to 
side  with  them  in  their  treason  ;  they  treasonably 
encouraged  a  foreign  power  to  invade  England  ; 
endeavoured  to  subvert  the  rights  of  Parliament,  and 
have  raised  and  countenanced  tumults,  and  finally  have 
conspired  to  levy  war  against  the  King.  Concurrently 
with  the  reading  of  the  charge,  a  serjeant-at-arms  at 
the  bar  of  the  House  of  Commons  demanded  these  five 
members  to  be  delivered  to  him  in  His  Majesty's  name. 
This  was  not  agreed  to.  It  would  further  appear  that 
some  servants  of  the  King,  by  special  warrant,  had  gone 
to  the  apartments  of  some  of  the  accused  members  and 


of  Cbarles  I.  85 

sealed  up  their  studies  and  trunks.     On  being  advised 
of  this,  the  House  made  an  order  that  members  sub- 
jected to  such  indignity,  or  the  seizure  of  their  persons, 
should  call  the  aid  of  the  next  constable,  to  put  such 
persons  in   safe   custody  till   the    House    should   give 
further  orders.     A  message  was  sent  to  the  King  that 
the  five  members  would  be  forthcoming  as  soon  as  a 
legal  charge  was  preferred  against  them.     Next  day 
the  King  came  to  the  House  of  Commons,  leaving  his 
guard  outside  the  door.      He  and  his  nephew,  Prince 
Rupert,  entered  the  House,  to  the  amazement  of  all  ; 
the  Speaker,  leaving  the  chair  by  the  King's  command, 
the  King  went  into  it.     The  King  said  that  yesterday 
he  had  sent  his  serjeant-at-arms  to  apprehend  certain 
members  who  by  his  command  were  accused  of  high 
treason.     He  expected  obedience,  but  instead  thereof 
he  had  received  a  message.     No  king  of  England  had 
ever  been  more  careful  to  maintain  their  privileges  than 
he,  but  in  cases  of  treason  no  man  had  privilege ;  and 
therefore  he  came  to  see  if  any  of  these  members  whom 
he  had  accused  were  there,  for  he  was  resolved  to  have 
them  arrested.     He  would  proceed  against  them  in  a 
fair  and  legal  way  ;  and  having  said  so,  he  rose  and  left 
the   House.      The    accused    members   had   withdrawn 
from  the  House  half  an  hour  before  his  arrival.      The 
King's  resolution  to  visit  the  House,  for  the  purpose  of 
seizing  the   five   members,  had   been   privately    made 
known  to  the  Countess  of  Carlisle,  sister  of  the  Earl 
of  Northumberland,  recorded  to   have  been  a  lady  of 
"  spirit,  wit  and  intrigue."     She  sent  word  to  the  five 
members,  and  they  had  time  to  withdraw  before  the 
King's  arrival.     They  left  their  apartments,  however, 
and  that  night  slept  within  the  precincts  of  the  city, 
which  served  as  a  sanctuary  for  them.     Next  morning 
the  King  ordered  the  Lord  Mayor  to  call  a  meeting  of 
the  Common  Council,  and   about  ten  a.m.  the   King, 
accompanied  with  three  or  four  of  the  Lords,  attended 
at  the   Guildhall,  where   the   people   were   assembled. 
The  King  said  he  was  sorry  they  should  apprehend 


86  iRo^al  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 


danger.  He  was  come  to  them  to  show  how  much  he 
relied  on  their  affections  for  his  security,  having  brought 
no  one  with  him  ;  that  he  had  accused  certain  men  of 
treason,  against  whom  he  would  proceed  in  a  legal  way, 
and  therefore  he  presumed  they  would  not  shelter  them 
in  the  city.  He  then  told  one  of  the  sheriffs  that  he 
would  dine  with  him  that  day,  and  then  departed.  On 
his  way  to  Whitehall  he  was  rudely  assailed  by  a  mob 
calling  out  in  derision,  "  Privilege  of  Parliament,"  some 
of  them  pressing  very  near  his  carriage,  while  one 
loudly  called  out,  "  To  your  tents,  O  Israel,"  which 
much  incensed  the  King.  Next  day  he  issued  a  pro- 
clamation for  the  apprehension  of  the  accused  members, 
forbidding  anyone  to  harbour  them.  The  King,  taking 
these  extreme  steps  without  the  authority  of  Parlia- 
ment, was  considered  by  the  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons  as  endangering  their  liberties  ;  and  so  at 
the  reassembling  of  the  House  they  resolved  :  "  That 
the  King's  coming  to  the  House,  and  demanding  the 
persons  of  certain  members  to  be  delivered  to  him,  was 
a  breach  of  the  rights  and  privileges  of  Parliament,  and 
inconsistent  with  the  liberty  and  freedom  thereof.  And 
therefore  they  could  not,  with  the  safety  of  their  own 
persons,  or  the  indemnity  of  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
Parliament,  sit  there  any  longer  without  a  full  vindica- 
tion of  so  high  a  breach  of  privilege,  and  a  sufficient 
guard  ;"  and  for  that  reason  the  House  was  adjourned 
for  four  days.  The  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and 
Common  Council  sent  a  petition  to  the  King  pointing 
out  that  their  fears  were  considerably  increased  by 
His  Majesty's  recent  visit  to  the  House,  attended  by 
armed  men,  for  the  apprehension  of  certain  members 
of  the  House,  to  the  endangering  of  his  person  and 
the  persons  and  privileges  of  that  assembly.  The 
Commons  declared  that  if  any  person  should  arrest 
the  accused,  or  any  other  member  of  Parliament,  by 
pretence  of  a  warrant  issued  from  the  King  without  the 
consent  of  Parliament,  he  was  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the 
privileges  of  Parliament,  and  an  enemy  of  the  Common- 


of  Gbarles  I.  87 

wealth  :  that  the  accused  members  should  resume  their 
sittings  in  the  House,  and  they  were  required  to  attend 
the  next  day  it  was  to  sit,  and  continue  to  do  so.  The 
noise  was  so  great  of  the  preparations  made  in  the  city 
to  bring  the  accused  members  in  triumph  to  Parliament, 
that  the  King  thought  it  desirable  to  move  to  Hampton 
Court,  which  he  did,  with  his  family  and  attendants,  on 
loth  January.  From  London  Bridge  to  Westminster 
the  Thames  was  guarded  with  100  lighters  and 
longboats  laden  with  ordnance,  and  ready  for  fighting 
if  necessary. 

The  breach  between  the  King  and  Parliament 
gradually  grew  wider  by  the  King's  persistent  refusal 
to  assent  to  the  decrees  of  the  House.  There  was  a 
mutual  want  of  confidence  between  them,  and  the  King 
made  up  his  mind  to  remove  his  residence  to  York 
in  the  interest  of  peace  and  safety.  He  arrived  there 
on  3Oth  March,  1642.  In  his  last  communication  to 
Parliament  before  he  went  to  York  he  said  : — "  He 
thought  it  necessary  to  publish  that  he  expected  and 
required  obedience  from  all  his  loving  subjects  to  the 
laws  established ;  and  that  they  presumed  not  upon  any 
pretence  of  order  or  ordinance  to  which  His  Majesty 
was  no  party  to  do  what  was  not  warranted  by  these 
laws,  he  being  resolved  to  keep  the  laws  himself  and 
to  require  obedience  from  all  his  subjects.  It  was  a 
fundamental  privilege  that  his  subjects  could  not  be 
obliged  to  obey  any  act,  order  or  injunction  to  which 
he  had  not  given  his  consent."  This  communication 
enraged  both  Houses,  and  intimation  was  made  that 
the  kingdom  had  been  of  late  in  imminent  danger, 
both  from  enemies  abroad  and  a  discontented  party 
at  home ;  and  being  sensible  of  their  duty  to  provide 
a  suitable  defence,  Parliament  addressed  several  peti- 
tions to  His  Majesty  for  the  ordering  and  disposing 
of  the  militia.  Yet  they  could  obtain  no  redress,  for 
the  King  refused  to  give  his  assent.  At  the  very 
moment  at  which  his  subjects,  after  a  long  estrangement, 
produced  by  his  maladministration,  were  returning 


88  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

to  him  with  feelings  of  confidence,  he  had  aimed  his 
deadly  blow  at  their  dearest  rights  and  the  privileges 
of  Parliament.  He  had  shown  that  opposition  to  his 
arbitary  designs  was  a  crime  to  be  expiated  only  by 
blood.  He  had  broken  faith  not  only  with  his  Great 
Council  but  with  his  people  and  his  adherents.  During 
the  night  which  followed  this  outrage  the  city  of 
'  London  was  in  arms.  In  the  Commons  the  Opposi- 
tion became  irresistible,  and  carried  by  more  than  two 
votes  to  one  resolutions  of  violence.  The  gates  of 
the  King's  palace  were  daily  besieged  by  a  furious 
multitude,  and  the  King  believing  his  liberty  threatened, 
quitted  London,  never  to  return  till  the  day  of  reckoning 
arrived.1 

On  i Qth  May,  1642,  there  was  a  declaration  issued 
by  Parliament  as  an  answer  to  two  despatches  of  the 
King,  dated  March,  i64i,2  and  March,  1642.  Both  were 
full  of  reproaches.  They  found  it  very  difficult  to 
satisfy  the  King,  who  was  possessed  by  misapprehensions 
which  evil  counsellors  had  wrought  in  him,  so  that  their 
remonstrances  had  rather  embittered  than  mitigated 
the  sharp  expressions  he  had  made  in  reply  to  them. 
In  the  matter  of  the  militia,  they  declared  that  if  the 
King  refused  to  join  with  them,  the  two  Houses  of 
Parliament  being  the  supreme  Court  of  the  realm, 
were  enabled  by  their  own  authority  to  provide  for 
the  defence  of  the  kingdom.  The  King  answered 
this  deliverance  in  a  long  despatch  of  thirty-five  printed 
pages,  in  which  he  made  no  concessions ;  maintained 
his  position  as  having  the  power  to  accept  or  reject 
statutes  passed  by  Parliament ;  reproduced  the  oath 
and  proceedings  connected  with  it  at  his  coronation, 
and  declined  to  recognise  the  authority  of  Parliament 
as  laid  down  in  the  following  ordinance  : — That 
Parliament  has  an  absolute  power  of  declaring  the 

1  Macaulay. 

2  The  marriage  of  the  Princess  Mary  with  William,  Prince  of 
Orange,  took  place  about  this  time  (1641).     The  King  concluded 
the  alliance  without  consulting  Parliament. 


IReign  ot  Gbarles  I.  89 

law,  and  what  they  declare  ought  not  to  be  questioned 
by  the  King  or  any  subject.  It  may  dispose  of  anything 
for  the  public  good  wherein  the  King  or  his  subjects 
have  a  right.  They,  without  the  King,  are  this 
Parliament ;  and  His  Majesty's  consent  is  not 
necessary.  The  life  and  liberty  of  the  subjects,  and 
the  laws  made  for  their  security,  may  at  any  time  be 
disposed  of  or  repealed  by  the  majority  of  both  Houses 
without  the  King's  consent.  No  member  of  either 
House  ought  to  be  charged  with  treason  or  any  other 
crime  without  the  cause  being  brought  before  them, 
and  leave  obtained  to  proceed.  The  sovereign  power 
resides  in  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  His  Majesty 
has  no  negative  voice.  On  2nd  June,  1642,  Parliament 
presented  a  list  of  nineteen  propositions  for  the  better 
government  of  the  kingdom. 

These  propositions  were  the  natural  outcome  of  the 
circumstances  in  which  Parliament  was  placed.  The 
King  was  headstrong,  unreliable,  indifferent  to  the 
decrees  of  Parliament,  and  quite  out  of  sympathy  with 
the  members  of  both  Houses.  Everything  has  not  been 
recorded,  but  it  is  without  doubt  that  under  such  a 
King  the  national  administration  was  carried  on  with 
great  difficulty.  These  propositions  indicate  pretty 
clearly  what  Parliament  had  to  contend  with :  and 
such  courageous  proposals,  expressed  in  a  respectful 
manner,  were  acknowledged  to  be  essential  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  kingdom.  What  was  their  effect  on 
the  King?  We  are  informed  that  he  made  an 
elaborate  reply  vindicating  his  position,  as  he  had 
hitherto  done,  and  repudiating  the  propositions.  His 
policy  was  that  of  the  dog  in  the  manger;  he  would 
neither  attend  to  the  legislation  of  the  kingdom,  nor 
allow  Parliament  to  do  so  on  his  behalf.  In  this  way 
he  aroused  public  indignation,  and  eventually  lost  his 
crown.  His  answer  concluded  in  these  words : — "  These 
being  passed,  we  may  be  waited  upon  bareheaded,  we 
may  have  our  hand  kissed,  the  style  of  majesty  con- 
tinued to  us,  and  the  King's  authority  ratified  by 


90  iRo^al  ibcmse  of  Stuart 

Parliament  may  be  still  the  style  of  your  commands 
We  may  have  swords  and  maces  carried  before  us, 
and  please  ourselves  with  the  sight  of  a  crown  and  a 
sceptre  ;  but  as  to  true  and  real  power  we  should 
remain  but  the  outside,  but  the  picture,  but  the  sign 
of  a  king."  i 

Parliament  issued  orders  on  roth  June  for  loans  of 
money  and  plate  in  order  to  maintain  troops  to 
defend  the  kingdom.  Within  ten  days  vast  quantities 
of  plate  were  brought  to  the  Treasurers.  Hardly  were 
there  men  enough  to  receive  it,  or  even  accommodation 
for  it.  Many  were  obliged  to  carry  back  their  offerings 
and  wait  the  Treasurer's  convenience.  Such  zeal 
animated  pious  partisans  of  Parliament  even  in  the 
city.  The  women  gave  up  all  the  plate  and  ornaments 
of  their  houses,  and  even  their  silver  thimbles  and 
bodkins,  in  order  to  support  the  cause.2 

During  the  King's  residence  at  York,  he  is  said 
to  have  had  a  princely  establishment ;  and  several 
members  of  both  Houses  of  Parliament  went  there  to 
attend  his  Court,  and  make  a  temporary  residence. 
An  extensive  correspondence  appears  to  have  been 
kept  up  between  Parliament  and  the  King,  of  a 
personal  and  an  irritating  character,  but  the  strong, 
perverse  will  of  the  King  would  not  allow  him  to 
meet  the  wishes  of  Parliament,  not  even  in  the 
smallest  particular,  and  this  attitude  daily  made  his 
restoration  more  impossible.  Parliament  was  dis- 
pleased at  their  members  joining  the  King  at  York 
and  neglecting  their  official  duties ;  and  ordained 
nine  peers  to  be  incapable  of  again  sitting  in  the 
House,  while  members  of  the  Lower  Chamber  were 
fined  £100  each,  and  not  again  to  resume  their  seats 
till  examined  by  a  committee  and  satisfied  the  House 
as  to  the  cause  of  absence.  On  the  impeachment  of 
these  Lords  the  House  of  peers  delivered  judgment, 
finding  them  guilty,  and  ordained  that  they  neither 
sit  nor  vote  in  the  present  Parliament,  nor  enjoy  its 
1  Campbell's  Lives.  3  Hume's  England. 


1Ref0n  of  Gbarles  I.  91 

privileges,  and  that  they  be  committed  to  the  Tower 
during  the  pleasure  of  the  House.  And  so  this 
matter  ended.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  King's 
troubles,  shadowed  by  Cromwell. 

The  strained  relations  between  the  King  and 
Parliament  compelled  the  latter  to  bring  matters  to 
a  point,  and  on  I2th  July,  1642,  they  sent  the 
following  petition  (condensed)  to  the  King  : — 

With  much  sorrow  we  perceive  that  your  Majesty, 
incensed  by  many  false  calumnies  and  slanders,  con- 
tinues to  raise  forces  against  us  and  your  other  loyal 
subjects,  and  to  make  preparations  both  in  the  kingdom 
and  out  of  it,  and  by  arms  and  violence  to  overrule 
the  judgment  and  advice  of  your  Great  Council,  and 
by  force  to  determine  the  questions  depending,  con- 
cerning the  government  and  the  liberty  of  the  king- 
dom. .  .  .  We  prostrate  ourselves  at  your  Majesty's  feet, 
beseeching  you  to  be  pleased  to  remove  all  preparations 
for  war  ;  dismiss  troops  and  extraordinary  guards  ;  that 
your  Majesty  will  come  nearer  to  your  Parliament  and 
hearken  to  their  advice  and  petitions,  which  shall 
only  tend  to  the  defence  of  religion,  your  own 
honour  and  safety,  and  the  preservation  of  our  laws 
and  liberties  ;  that  your  Majesty  will  leave  delinquents 
to  the  course  of  justice,  and  that  nothing  done  or  spoken 
in  Parliament  be  questioned  anywhere  but  in  Parliament. 
And  we,  on  our  part,  shall  be  ready  to  lay  down  all 
those  preparations  which  we  have  been  compelled  to 
make  for  our  defence.  We  shall  be  ready  to  settle 
the  militia  by  a  bill  honourable  to  your  Majesty, 
agreeable  to  Parliament,  and  effectual  to  the  good 
of  the  kingdom ;  that  the  strength  thereof  be  not 
employed  against  itself,  and  that  which  ought  to  be 
for  our  security  applied  to  our  destruction,  and  that 
Parliament  and  those  who  desire  to  preserve  the 
Protestant  religion  may  not  be  left  naked  and 
indefensible  to  the  mischievous  designs  of  those  who 
are  the  professed  enemies  thereof. 


92  IRo^al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


The  King  sent  a  long  reply  to  this  petition,  in 
which  he  asked,  "What  regard  had  been  to  his 
honour  and  safety  when  he  had  been  driven  from 
some  of  his  houses  and  kept  from  some  of  his 
towns1  by  force?  And  what  care  had  there  been 
for  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  when  endeavours  had 
been  made  to  put  his  subjects  in  arms  against  him  ? 
It  is  enough  that  the  world  knows  what  he  has 
granted  and  what  he  has  denied.  For  His  Majesty 
raising  forces  and  preparing  for  war,  that  has  been 
in  his  own  defence.  Let  the  petitioners  remember 
that  His  Majesty  was  driven  from  Whitehall  for  the 
safety  of  his  life  ;  that  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  on 
their  own  authority,  raised  a  guard  for  themselves. 
They  usurped  a  power  by  their  pretended  ordinance 
against  all  principles  of  lav/  over  the  whole  militia 
of  the  kingdom  against  His  Majesty's  consent.  A 
declaration  was  published  that  if  he  should  use  force 
for  the  recovery  of  Hull  or  suppressing  the  pretended 
ordinance  for  the  militia,  it  should  be  held  as  levying 
war  against  Parliament  And  all  this  was  done 
before  His  Majesty  granted  any  commission  for 
raising  troops.  Let  all  the  world  judge  who  began 
this  war,  and  on  whose  account  the  miseries  which 
may  follow  must  be  cast.  His  Majesty  stipulates 
that  arms,  levies  and  provisions  for  war  made  by 
Parliament  be  immediately  laid  down,  and  all  power 
of  imposing  laws  on  the  subjects  without  His  Majesty's 
consent  be  disavowed.  These  being  done,  and  Parlia- 
ment adjourned  to  a  safe  and  secure  place,  His  Majesty 
promises,  in  the  presence  of  God,  that  he  will  instantly 
and  cheerfully  lay  down  all  the  force  he  has  raised  and 
discharge  the  levies,  so  that  there  may  be  a  general 
peace  over  the  whole  kingdom."  On  i6th  July 
Parliament  replied,  declining  to  entertain  the  King's 
proposals.  Both  parties  thereafter  prepared  for  war, 
and  at  Nottingham  on  2$th  August,  1642,  the  King 
erected  his  standard  and  issued  a  proclamation.  On 

'  Hull. 


1Ref0n  of  Cbarles  I.  93 

the  same  day  he  sent  a  message  to  Parliament 
proposing  a  treaty  of  peace,  its  terms  to  be  fixed 
by  commissioners  mutually  chosen.  Parliament 
declined  the  proposal  in  a  despatch  which  stated 
that :  "  With  much  grief  they  resented  the  dangerous 
and  distracted  state  of  the  kingdom  which  we  have 
by  all  means  endeavoured  to  prevent  by  our  several 
advices  and  petitions,  which  have  been  not  only 
without  success,  but  there  followed  that  which  no 
council  in  former  times  hath  produced  nor  any  age 
hath  seen,  viz.,  these  several  proclamations  against 
both  Houses  of  Parliament,  whereby  their  actions 
are  declared  treasonable  and  their  persons  traitors ; 
and  thereupon  your  Majesty  hath  set  up  your  standard 
against  them,  whereby  you  have  put  the  Houses  of 
Parliament  and  the  whole  kingdom  out  of  your  pro- 
tection. So  that  until  you  withdraw  these  proclamations 
whereby  Parliament  are  declared  traitors,  and  until  the 
standard  set  up  in  conformity  with  these  proclama- 
tions be  taken  down,  we  cannot  give  any  other 
answer  to  your  message."  Despatches  continued  to 
pass  between  parties,  but  all  to  the  same  effect. 
Parliament  resolved  to  send  to  Scotland  for  assistance, 
and  sent  commissioners  to  Edinburgh  to  negotiate  a 
treaty  of  alliance.  The  Scots  promised  to  aid  their 
brethren  in  England  on  condition  of  uniformity  of 
Church  government,  and  a  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant.  They  transmitted  a  form  of  it  to  Parlia- 
ment at  Westminster,  when  it  was  approved  and 
ordered  to  be  published. 

On  the  2oth  September  the  King,  with  his  followers, 
and  including  his  two  sons,  entered  Shrewsbury,  after 
which  he  proceeded  to  Worcester.  The  Parliamentary 
army,  numbering  14,000,  was  commanded  by  the  Earl 
of  Essex.  The  Royal  army,  numbering  11,000,  was 
under  Lord  Lindsay  and  Prince  Rupert.  On  23rd 
October  both  armies  met  at  Edgehill,  where  a  de- 
termined engagement  took  place,  5,000  reported  as 
having  been  slain,  two  -  thirds  belonging  to  the 


94  TRogal  Hxwse  ot  Stuart 

Parliamentary,  and  one  -  third  to  the  Royal,  army, 
Lindsay  being  among  the  slain.  The  King  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Oxford,  where  he  resided  and  held  his  Court. 
The  colleges,  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  the  war, 
presented  him  with  all  the  money  they  had  in  their 
treasuries,  which  amounted  to  a  large  sum.  They  had 
previously  given  him  all  their  plate,  so  that  it  might 
be  turned  into  money  for  his  many  requirements.  He 
was  always  scarce  of  money.  Both  armies  again  met  at 
Brentford,  near  London,  where  another  engagement  took 
place,  when  Prince  Rupert,  on  behalf  of  the  King,  de- 
feated Gen.  Hallis  and  took  many  prisoners.  The  King 
then  visited  Hampton  Court,  where  he  remained  a  day. 
He  then  directed  his  troops  to  retire  to  Reading,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Oxford.  Here  it  would  seem  he 
calmly  sat  down  and  reflected  on  the  unsatisfactory 
state  of  the  kingdom,  his  own  behaviour  in  running 
away  from  London,  and  the  necessity  of  coming  to 
terms  with  Parliament  in  the  interests  of  peace.  With 
this  view  he  prepared  a  despatch,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy,  and  transmitted  it  to  Westminster 
for  consideration  by  Parliament.  In  the  reply  to  this 
communication  the  hand  of  Cromwell  is  visible. 
Cromwell  entered  the  House  of  Commons  in  1640  as 
member  for  Cambridge,  and  from  1642  took  a  very 
active  part  in  all  its  deliberations  1  : — 

Oxford,  ^rd  March,  1643. — Out  of  our  most  tender 
and  pious  sense  of  the  sad  and  bleeding  condition  of 
this  our  kingdom,  and  our  unwearied  desire  to  apply 
all  remedies  which  by  the  blessing  of  God  may  recover 
it  from  utter  ruin,  by  the  advice  of  the  Lords  and 
Commons  of  Parliament  assembled  at  Oxford,  we  desire 
that  a  convenient  number  of  fit  persons  be  appointed 
and  authorised  by  you  to  meet  with  all  convenient 

1  Sir  Edward  Hyde,  afterwards  Lord  Chancellor,  was  present  at 
Edgehill,  in  the  rear  among  the  non-combatants  ;  the  King's  two 
sons,  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Duke  of  York,  then  boys  of  twelve 
and  nine  years  of  age,  being  in  his  care. 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  95 

speed  at  such  place  as  you  shall  nominate  with  an 
equal  number  of  fit  persons  whom  we  shall  appoint ; 
and  authorise  to  treat  of  the  ways  and  means  to  settle 
the  present  distractions  of  the  kingdom  and  to  procure 
a  happy  peace.  And  particularly  how  the  members 
of  both  Houses  may  securely  meet  in  a  full  and  free 
convention  of  Parliament  to  treat,  consult  and  agree 
on  such  things  as  may  conduce  to  the  maintenance 
and  defence  of  the  Protestant  religion,  to  the  settling 
and  maintaining  of  our  just  rights  and  privileges,  of 
the  rights  and  privileges  of  Parliament,  the  laws  of 
the  land,  the  liberty  and  property  of  the  subject,  and 
other  expedients  that  may  procure  a  firm  and  lasting 
peace  in  Church  and  State,  and  a  perfect  understanding 
betwixt  us  and  our  people  wherein  no  endeavours  of 
ours  shall  be  wanting  ;  and  God  direct  your  hearts 
in  the  way  of  peace.  CHARLES  R. 

This  message  being  signed  by  the  King,  was 
directed  to  the  Lords  and  Commons  of  Parliament 
at  Westminster.  After  two  or  three  debates 
in  the  House  with  the  Scotch  Commissioner,  with- 
out whose  concurrence  nothing  was  transacted,  the 
following  reply  was  sent  to  the  King,  which  put 
an  end  to  all  hope  of  any  possible  accommodation : — 

We,  the  Lords  and  Commons  assembled  in  the 
Parliament  of  England,  taking  into  consideration  a 
letter  sent  from  your  Majesty  of  3rd  March,  have 
resolved,  with  the  consent  of  the  Commissioner  of 
Scotland,  to  represent  to  you  as  follows,  viz. : — That  as 
we  have  used  all  means  for  a  just  and  safe  peace,  so 
will  we  never  be  awanting  to  do  our  utmost  for 
procuring  it ;  but  when  we  consider  the  expressions  in 
that  letter  we  have  more  sad  and  despairing  thoughts 
of  attaining  the  same  than  ever  ;  because  those  persons 
assembled  at  Oxford,  who  in  violation  of  their  duty 
have  deserted  your  Parliament,  are  put  into  an  equal 
condition  with  it.  And  the  present  Parliament, 


96  tRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

convened   according   to   the   laws  of  the  kingdom,   is 

in  effect  denied    to   be   a  Parliament ;    the  scope  and 

intention  of  that  letter  being  to  make  provision  how 

all  the  members,  as  is  pretended  of  both  Houses,  may 

securely  meet.     No  other  conclusion  can  be  made  but 

that  this  Parliament  is  not  a  full  nor  free  convention,  and 

that  to  make  it  so,  the  presence  of  those  is  necessary 

who,  notwithstanding  that  they  have  deserted  their  trust 

and   do  levy   war   against   Parliament,    pretend   to  be 

members  of  both  Houses.  .  .  .  Seeing  the  continuance  of 

this  Parliament  is  settled  by  law,  which  your  Majesty 

has  sworn  to  maintain,  as  we  are  sworn  to  allegiance  to 

your  Majesty,  we  must  in  duty,  and    accordingly  are 

resolved,  with  our  lives  and  fortunes,  to  defend  the  just 

rights  and  powers  of  Parliament,  and  beseech  you  to 

be  assured  that  your  hearty  concurrence  with  us  will 

be  the  most  effectual  means  of  procuring  a  firm  and 

lasting    peace    and     beget    a     perfect     understanding 

between   you   and  your   people :   without   which   your 

Majesty's  most  earnest  professions  must  necessarily  be 

frustrated.     In  case  the  kingdom  remains  in  this  sad 

and  bleeding  condition,  tending  by  the  continuance  of 

this  unnatural  war  to  its  ruin,  your  Majesty  cannot  be 

the  least  nor  the  last  sufferer.     God  in  His  goodness,  out 

of  pity  and  compassion  to  these  deep  sufferings  of  your 

innocent  people,  induce  you  to  put  a  speedy  issue  to  these 

desperate  evils  by  the  joint  advice  of  both  your  kingdoms, 

now  happily  united  in  this  cause  by  the  Solemn  League 

and  Covenant ;  which  as  it  will  prove  the  surest  remedy, 

so  it  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  the  Lords  and  Commons 

assembled  in  this  Parliament  of  England. 

WESTMINSTER,  QTH  MARCH,  1643. 

This  is  probably  as  pitiable  a  condition  of  the 
administration  of  the  Crown  of  England  as  is  to  be 
found  in  history.  The  King  was  wanting  in  wisdom, 
in  generous  sentiments,  and  so  far  as  recorded,  had 
no  consideration  for  the  feelings  and  opinions  of  his 
ministers.  He  disregarded  the  judgment  of  Parlia- 


of  Cbarles  I.  97 

ment,  his  motto  being,  "  I  am  King,  I  must  be  obeyed." 
His  conduct  in  attempting  to  arrest  and  imprison  Pym 
and  other  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  was  a 
tyrannical  and  unconstitutional  act,  and  was  resented 
by  both  Houses.  If  he  had  shown  any  disposition  to 
meet  the  views  of  Parliament  all  quarrels  could  have 
been  healed  up,  but  like  other  sovereigns  of  the  House 
of  Stuart  who  believed  themselves  immaculate,  the 
King,  in  his  own  estimation,  could  do  no  wrong. 

This  year  Queen  Henrietta  paid  a  short  visit  to 
Holland,  where  she  pawned  her  own,  and  many  of  the 
Crown  jewels,  and  gave  the  proceeds  to  her  husband  to 
pay  his  war  charges.  Parliament  sent  ships  to  intercept 
her,  but  she  escaped  them.  She  returned  on  2oth 
February,  1643,  and  landed  at  Burlington  Bay  in 
Yorkshire.  There  is  a  curious  incident  told  of  her  at 
this  crisis.  She  had  scarcely  landed  and  retired  to  rest 
when  she  was  aroused  by  the  roar  of  cannon,  and  was 
informed  that  her  life  was  in  danger.  Four  of  the 
Parliamentary  ships  had  entered  the  roads  and  com- 
menced playing  their  cannon  against  the  house  where 
she  was.  So  imminent  was  the  danger  that  she  was 
compelled  to  quit  the  house  "  bare  foot  and  bare  leg," 
and  after  a  hazardous  flight  found  shelter,  along  with 
her  ladies,  in  a  moat  behind  the  town.  But  even  here 
the  danger  was  considerable,  a  soldier  having  been 
killed  a  few  paces  from  where  she  stood.  In  the  midst 
of  the  firing  she  remembered  that  she  had  left  her 
favourite  dog  asleep  in  the  house  she  had  just  quitted. 
Heedless  of  the  danger  she  ran  back  to  the  town  and 
secured  the  dog.  She  found  her  ladies  still  crouching 
in  the  ditch,  nor  was  it  till  the  tide  ebbed  that  the  balls 
ceased  to  play  over  their  heads.  After  remaining  in 
Yorkshire  some  time,  it  is  recorded  that  at  the  head  of 
2,000  foot  and  1,000  horse  she  subsequently  joined  the 
King  at  the  Vale  of  Keynton,  near  the  spot  where  the 
battle  of  Edgehill  was  fought.  The  Royal  pair  then 
proceeded  to  Oxford,  where  they  were  received  with 

enthusiasm.     The  Queen  and  her  ladies  were  lodged  in 
VOL.  ir.  G 


9s  iRo^al  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

Merton  College.  After  a  residence  of  a  few  months  at 
Oxford,  the  Queen,  in  consequence  of  the  approach  of 
the  Parliamentary  forces,  took  leave  of  the  University 
and  retired  to  Bath.  She  was  accompanied  by  Charles 
as  far  as  Abingdon,  six  miles  from  Oxford,  in  which 
town,  on  3rd  April,  1644,  they  bade  each  other  a  fare- 
well which  was  destined  to  be  their  last.  The  Queen 
proceeded  to  Exeter,  where  on  i6th  June  she  gave 
birth  to  her  youngest  child,  Henrietta,  afterwards 
Duchess  of  Orleans.  As  soon  as  her  health  permitted 
she  stole  out  of  Exeter  in  disguise  and  after  a  painful 
journey  reached  Pendennis  Castle  at  Falmouth  harbour, 
only  thirteen  days  having  elapsed  since  her  accouche- 
ment. Here  she  embarked  in  a  Dutch  vessel  which 
conveyed  her  to  France  where  she  was  joyfully  received, 
and  the  Royal  Chateau  of  St.  Germains  given  her, 
formerly  the  residence  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots. 

The  Estates  of  Scotland  assembled  on  22nd  June, 
1643,  to  deal  with  the  perplexing  state  of  the  kingdom, 
which  presented  a  condition  of  something  like  anarchy. 
The  Committee  of  Estates  were  reappointed,  and  the 
Local  War  Committee  resumed  their  work  in  the 
counties.  An  army  of  21,000  men  was  authorised  to 
march  south  under  the  command  of  Leslie,  Earl 
of  Leven,  accompanied  by  General  David  Leslie. 
On  5th  August  following,  the  Lords  desired  a 
conference  with  the  Commons  to  consider  certain 
propositions  which  they  meant  to  put  before  the  King. 
These  were  : — (i)  That  both  armies  be  disbanded  and 
the  King  entreated  to  return  to  Parliament  on  such 
security  as  would  give  him  satisfaction.  (2)  That  the 
question  of  religion  might  be  settled  with  the  advice  of 
a  Synod  of  divines  in  such  manner  as  the  King,  with  the 
consent  of  Parliament,  should  appoint.  (3)  That  the 
militia,  forts  and  ships  of  the  kingdom  be  put  into 
such  hands  as  the  King  should  appoint  with  the 
approval  of  Parliament,  and  his  revenue  to  be  wholly 
restored  to  him  ;  only  deducting  such  part  as  had  been 
of  necessity  expended  for  the  maintenance  of  his 


1Rei$n  of  Gbarles  I.  99 

children,  and  not  otherwise.  (4)  That  all  members  of 
both  Houses  who  had  been  expelled  for  absenting 
themselves  be  restored  to  their  places.  (5)  That  all 
delinquents  prior  to  loth  January,  1641,  be  delivered  up 
to  the  justice  of  Parliament,  and  a  general  pardon  for 
all  others  on  both  sides.  (6)  That  there  be  an  act  of 
oblivion  for  all  bygone  deeds  and  acts  of  hostility.  It 
does  not  appear  that  these  propositions  were  confirmed. 
The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  dates  four  or  five 
years  later  than  the  National  Covenant,  and  figures 
largely  in  history  at  this  period,  since  the  signing  of 
which  Charles  had  broken  with  the  English  Parliament. 
It  was  meant  to  be  the  basis  of  an  alliance  between 
Scotland  and  the  English  Parliament.  This  famous 
document  was  subscribed  by  the  people  of  all  ranks 
in  Scotland  and  England,  including  the  Assembly  of 
Divines  at  Westminster  ;  was  ratified  by  the  General 
Assembly  at  Edinburgh  iyth  August,  1643,  and  the 
Scottish  Parliament  I5th  July,  1644,  and  by  Charles  II. 
in  1650-51.  While  the  National  Covenant  of  1639  was 
restricted  to  Scotland,  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant 
was  more  comprehensive,  and  embraced  England,  Scot- 
land and  Ireland,  and  provided  for  the  extirpation  of 
Popery  and  Episcopacy.  The  following  is  the  text, 
slightly  abridged  : — 

We,  noblemen,  barons,  citizens,  ministers  of  the 
gospel.  .  .  .  After  mature  deliberation  have  resolved 
and  determined  to  enter  into  a  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant,  wherein  we  all  subscribe  and  swear  with 
our  hands  lifted  up  to  the  Most  High  God  : — (i)  That 
we  shall  through  the  grace  of  God  endeavour  to 
preserve  the  reformed  religion  in  the  Church  of 
Scotland  in  doctrine,  worship,  discipline  and  govern- 
ment, against  our  common  enemies ;  the  reformed 
religion  in  England  and  Ireland  according  to  the 
Word  of  God  and  the  example  of  the  Reformed 
Churches  .  .  .  that  we  and  our  posterity  after  us 
may  live  in  faith  and  love,  and  the  Lord  may 


ioo  1Ro£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

delight  to  dwell  in  the  midst  of  us.  (2)  That  we 
shall  in  like  manner  endeavour  to  extirpate  Popery, 
prelacy  (Church  government  by  bishops),  superstition, 
heresy,  schism,  profanity,  and  whatever  shall  be 
contrary  to  sound  doctrine  and  godliness.  ...  (3) 
We  shall,  with  the  same  sincerity,  in  our  several 
vocations  endeavour  with  our  estates  and  lives  to 
perserve  the  rights  and  privileges  of  Parliament,  and 
the  liberties  of  the  kingdom,  and  to  defend  the 
King's  person  and  authority,  that  the  world  may 
bear  witness  of  our  loyalty  and  that  we  have  no 
intention  of  diminishing  the  King's  power.  (4)  We 
shall  endeavour  to  discover  all  who  have  been  or 
shall  be  incendiaries,  malignants,  or  evil  instruments, 
by  hindering  the  reformation  of  religion,  dividing 
the  King  from  his  people,  or  one  of  the  kingdoms 
from  another,  or  making  any  factions  contrary  to 
the  League  and  Covenant,  that  they  may  be  brought 
to  trial  and  punished  as  their  offence  shall  deserve. 
(5)  And  whereas  the  happiness  of  a  blessed  peace 
between  these  kingdoms,  denied  in  former  times  to 
our  progenitors,  is  by  the  providence  of  God  granted 
to  us,  and  hath  been  concluded  and  settled  by  both 
Parliaments,  we  shall  endeavour  to  see  that  they 
remain  conjoined  in  a  firm  peace  and  union  to 
posterity,  and  that  justice  may  be  done  on  the 
wilful  opposers  thereof.  (6)  We  shall  assist  and 
defend  all  those  who  enter  into  the  League  and 
Covenant  in  the  maintaining  and  prosecution  thereof, 
and  shall  not  suffer  ourselves  by  combination,  per- 
suasion, or  terror  to  be  divided  .  .  .  but  shall  all  the  days 
of  our  lives  zealously  and  constantly  continue  therein 
against  all  opposition.  .  .  .  And  this  Covenant  we 
make,  in  presence  of  Almighty  God,  with  a  true 
intention  to  perform. 

The  General  Assembly  met  at  St.  Andrews,  27th 
July,  1643,  when  strenuous  efforts  were  made  by  the 
King  and  Parliament  to  secure  its  support.  The  King's 


of  Cbarles  I.  101 

letter,  delivered  by  Lord  Dunfermline,  expressed  his 
resolution  to  govern  the  people  of  Scotland  only  by 
their  own  laws,  and  the  Church  by  its  own  canons  and 
constitution.  Wherever  anything  was  amiss,  it  should 
be  reformed  in  a  fair  and  orderly  way ;  or  where  a 
reformation  was  settled,  it  should  be  maintained  and 
defended  against  all  trouble  from  without,  and  all 
heresies,  sects  and  schisms  arising  within.  Parliament 
expressed  their  disappointment  that  their  labours  for  a 
due  reformation  in  the  Church  and  State  had  been 
interrupted  by  the  plots  and  practices  of  a  malignant 
party  and  ill-affected  persons,  especially  the  corrupt 
and  dissolute  clergy. 

The  Lord  Mayor  of  London  called  a  meeting  of  the 
Common  Council,  and  they  resolved  if  these  proposi- 
tions were  agreed  to,  it  would  be  destructive  to  religion 
and  the  laws  and  liberties  of  the  realm  ;  and  that  the 
Commons  should  pass  an  ordinance  for  the  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war.  The  Lord  Mayor  intimated 
this  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  his  message  was 
adopted.  This  was  followed  by  a  curious  incident.  A 
great  multitude  of  wives  of  substantial  citizens  came  to 
the  House  with  a  petition  for  peace.  Thereupon  a 
troop  of  horse,  doubtless  with  the  consent  of  the  House, 
charged  the  women,  and  it  is  said  killed  some,  wounded 
many,  and  dispersed  the  riot.  Such  disgraceful  con- 
duct was  followed  by  several  peers  who  were  anxious 
for  peace  retiring  from  the  House,  and  taking  up  their 
quarters  at  Oxford  with  the  King.  On  loth  August, 
we  are  informed  on  the  authority  of  the  Peterkin 
Record,  that  the  Commission  of  Parliament  addressed 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church: — "Through  God's 
goodness  our  efforts  have  so  far  prevailed  as  to  induce 
the  removal  of  the  High  Commission  ;  the  making  void 
the  coercive  power  of  the  bishops  and  their  courts  ;  the 
ejection  of  bishops  from  the  House  of  Lords ;  the 
turning  out  of  many  scandalous  members." 

This  year  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  and  his  brother 
William,  Earl  of  Lanark,  hastened  to  the  Court  at 


io2  iRosal  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

Oxford,  to  tell  a  fair,  though  lamentable,  tale  respecting 
the  ill  -  success  which  had  attended  their  counsels. 
Montrose  was  there,  and  he  increased  the  King's 
displeasure  at  Hamilton's  miscarriages.  Hamilton 
was  arrested  and  sent  as  a  prisoner  to  Pendennis 
Castle,  Cornwall,  and  the  confidence  which  had  been 
placed  in  him  transferred  to  Montrose. 

In  the  matter  of  a  Parliament  at  Oxford,  Hyde,  now 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  prevailed  on  the  King  to 
call  a  Parliament  there  as  a  rival  to  that  at  Westminster. 
It  met  at  Oxford  on  22nd  January,  1644.  Hyde  was 
also  leader  of  the  House  of  120  members,  which  met 
there  in  Christchurch  Hall.  He  opened  his  budget 
detailing  the  mischiefs  that  arose  from  raising  money 
by  unlawful  means,  and  showing  the  necessity  for 
finding  more  regular  methods  for  raising  supplies  for 
carrying  on  the  war.  He  proposed  that  a  contribution 
should  be  levied  on  the  wealthy  with  their  own  consent; 
and  that  the  Royalists  should  imitate  the  tax  imposed 
on  wine,  beer  and  other  articles.  These  ways  and 
means  were  agreed  to.  This  sitting  of  the  Oxford 
Parliament  concluded  its  session  by  the  following 
resolution : — That  the  Lords  and  Commons  remaining 
at  Westminster  having  rejected  all  offers  of  peace,  and 
having  made  war  against  the  King,  counterfeited  the 
Great  Seal,  and  abetted  the  Scots  invasion,  are  guilty 
of  high  treason,  and  ought  to  be  proceeded  against  as 
traitors  to  the  King  and  kingdom. 

On  I Qth  January,  1644,  Leslie,  with  his  troops 
(Covenanters)  crossed  the  Tweed  and  marched  to 
Newcastle,  which  was  held  by  a  Royalist  garrison. 
While  the  siege  works  or  "  approaches "  moved  on, 
work  was  found  elsewhere  for  Leslie  and  his  troops. 
Newcastle  capitulated  on  27th  October,  but  in  the 
interval  the  famous  battle  of  Marston  Moor,  forced  on 
by  Leslie,  took  place  on  2nd  July,  1644.  The  Marquis 
of  Newcastle,  with  the  Royalist  army,  advanced  to 
York,  closely  followed  by  the  Scots.  Fairfax  and  Lord 
Leven  joining  their  forces  at  Tadcaster,  proceeded  to 


ot  Gbartes  I.  103 

York.  The  Earl  of  Manchester,  at  the  head  of  14,000 
men,  with  Oliver  Cromwell  as  his  Lieutenant-General, 
were  sent  to  the  aid  of  Fairfax  and  Leven.  Prince 
Rupert  assisted  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle.  On  his 
approach,  Manchester,  Fairfax  and  Leven  abandoned 
the  siege  of  Newcastle,  and  on  the  last  day  of  June 
drew  up  their  forces  at  Marston  Moor,  five  miles  from 
York.  The  Prince  gave  the  order  for  battle  on  2nd 
July ;  50,000  men  were  from  all  accounts  engaged  on 
this  occasion.  At  seven  p.m.  the  signal  was  given  ;  the 
left  wing  of  the  Parliamentary  army,  under  Cromwell  and 
David  Leslie,  charged  the  right  wing  of  the  Royalists 
with  great  fury  and  drove  them  from  the  field  in  disorder. 
The  Marquis  of  Newcastle's  regiment  stood  firm,  and 
after  a  desperate  resistance  was  almost  cut  to  pieces. 
But  the  right  wing  of  Fairfax  and  Leven  was  over- 
powered by  the  Prince  and  his  cavalry,  and  fled  from 
the  field.  For  a  time  the  issue  was  doubtful.  Cromwell 
received  a  wound  in  the  neck,  and  it  is  said  was  carried 
off  the  field,  but  this  is  not  confirmed.  It  would  appear 
that  his  troops  and  those  of  Leslie  rallied  with  renewed 
vigour,  and  at  ten  o'clock  overpowered  the  Royalists, 
who  retired  ;  3,000  of  the  vanquished  were  slain,  and 
1,500  taken  prisoners.  This  battle  was  taken  as  the 
crisis  of  the  war,  as  it  gave  Parliament  the  command 
of  the  North.  The  Marquis  of  Newcastle  fled  to  the 
Continent  in  disguise,  and  the  Prince  and  his  scattered 
forces  retired  into  Lancashire.  The  effect  of  this  victory 
to  the  Parliamentary  army  was  that  some  time  after,  in 
October,  Newcastle  capitulated.  The  English  claimed 
the  victory  of  Marston  Moor  for  Cromwell  and  the 
Independents,  the  Scots  for  Leslie  and  the  Presbyterians. 
James  Graham,  Marquis  of  Montrose,  joined  the  English 
the  day  after.  He  and  Argyll  were  foes.  They  were 
regarded  as  young  men  of  unlimited  ambition,  and  like 
Caesar  and  Pompey,  "  the  one  would  endure  no  superior, 
and  the  other  would  have  no  equal."1  Montrose  had 
been  imprisoned  in  Edinburgh  Castle  with  Atholl  and 
1  Clarendon. 


104  TRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

seven  others,  because  in  Argyll's  tent  on  the  ford  of  the 
Lyon  they  discussed  a  proposal  to  depose  the  King. 
He  appeared  before  Parliament  on  I3th  August,  and 
was  remanded  to  prison.  He  remained  in  confinement 
till  the  beginning  of  1642,  when  he  was  liberated. 

Montrose's  plan  was  to  get  Leven's  army  of  Cove- 
nanters out  of  England,  where  they  turned  the  balance 
of  war  against  the  King.  He  was  to  make  them  find 
the  necessity  of  returning  home  for  the  defence  of 
Scotland. 

The  King,  with  an  escort,  left  Oxford,  and  moved 
about  from  place  to  place  without  any  fixed  plan  of 
operations.  He  shortly  afterwards  reached  Exeter, 
where  he  found  his  infant  child  of  whom  the  Queen 
had  lately  been  delivered,  under  the  care  of  Lady 
Dalkeith,  afterwards  Countess  of  Morton.  He  with 
his  troops  went  to  Falmouth,  then  to  Oxford.  About 
the  end  of  1644  Cromwell,  who  had  hitherto  kept 
himself  in  the  background  in  Parliament,  now  came  on 
the  scene,  and  it  is  important  to  review  the  circumstances 
which  brought  him  forward.  He  was  evidently  the 
leader  of  the  party  in  the  House  of  Commons  opposed 
to  any  treaty  of  peace  with  the  King.  His  policy  was 
war  to  the  knife. 

The  trial  and  execution  of  William  Laud,  the  famous 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  must  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  notable  events  in  the  reign  of  Charles.  As 
indicating  the  turbulent  character  of  the  period,  and  the 
restless  and  disorderly  condition  of  both  Houses  of 
Parliament  caused  by  the  behaviour  of  the  King,  the 
unfortunate  Laud  lay  nearly  four  years  in  the  Tower  of 
London  before  he  was  brought  to  trial.  He  was  accused 
of  a  design  to  bring  in  Popery  and  of  having  corre- 
spondence with  the  Pope,  which  was  declared  to  be 
high  treason.  It  would  appear  that  he  defended 
himself  with  great  courage  and  less  passion  than  was 
expected,  answered  all  questions  with  clearness  and 
irresistible  reason,  convinced  impartial  men  of  his 
integrity  and  his  disapproval  of  all  treasonable 


•:«  <". 

• 


IRefgn  of  Gbarles  I.  105 

intentions.     His  accusers  failed   to  prove  their  indict- 
ment, and  referred  the  matter  to  Parliament.    Parliament 
issued  an  ordinance  finding  him  guilty  of  treason  and 
condemned  him  to  death.     Of  all  the  prelates  of  the 
Anglican  Church,  Laud  had  departed  furthest  from  the 
principles  of  the  Reformation,  and  had  drawn  nearest  to 
Rome.    His  understanding  was  narrow,  and  his  dealings 
with  the  world  small.     He  was  by  nature  rash,  irritable, 
sensitive  of  his  own  dignity,  slow  to  sympathise  with 
the  sufferings  of  others,  and  prone  to  the  error  of  making 
his   own    peevish   and   malignant   moods   emotions   of 
pious  zeal.1     Sergeant  Wylde,  in  concluding  his  speech 
for   the  prosecution,  said  :   "  This  man,  my  Lords,  is 
like  Naaman  the  Syrian  :  a  great  man,  but  a  leper," 
while    another    speaker    said  :    "  We    know    what    he 
hath   been    charged   with   in   this    House  :    crimes   of 
a   dangerous   nature,  no   less   than   the   subversion  of 
the  government  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  destruction 
of   the    Protestant    religion.      Much   of  this   is   come 
before    us    on    manifest    proof.       There    is    scarcely 
any  complaint,  but  he  is,  as  it  were,  twisted  into  it  ; 
like   a   busy   angry   wasp,   his   sting  is   in  the  tail   of 
everything.     He  has  been   the  common  enemy  of  all 
goodness,  and   all  good  men,  and  it  is  not  safe  that 
such  a  viper  should  be  near  His  Majesty's  presence  to 
distil  his  poison  into  his  sacred  ears  ;  nor  is  it  safe  for 
the  Commonwealth  that  he  sit  in  so  eminent  a  place 
of  government,  being  thus  accused.     He  is  the  corrupt 
fountain  that  hath  corrupted  all   the  streams,  and  till 
the  fountain  be  purged,  we  can  never  expect  to  have 
clear  channels.     It  is  necessary  that  we  go  up  to  the 
Lords  in  name  of  the  Commons  of  this  House,  and  in 
name  of  the  Commons  of  England  accuse  him  of  high 
treason,  and  desire  their  Lordships  that  his  person  be 
sequestered."     The  Lords  ordained  that  Laud  be  com- 
mitted to  the  custody  of  the  gentleman  usher,  and  that 
he  be  sequestered  from  the  House  until  he  shall  clear 
himself  of  the  accusation  laid  against  him,  and  that  no 
1  Macau  lay. 


Ibouse  of  Stuart 

member  of  the  House  visit  him  without  leave  of  the 
House.  The  trial  began  I2th  March,  1643,  and 
ended  on  29th  July,  1644,  and  Laud,  who  was  found 
guilty,  as  just  stated,  was  immediately  afterwards 
executed  on  Tower  Hill. 

Laud  was  the  son  of  a  clothier  in  Reading,  and  was 
born  in  1573.  He  was  created  Archbishop  in  1633. 
His  persecutions  would  thus  cover  a  period  of  seven 
years.  The  King,  says  the  historian,  was  an  unscrupu- 
lous dissembler.  There  never  was  a  politician  to  whom 
so  many  frauds  and  falsehoods  were  brought  home  by 
undeniable  evidence.  He  publicly  recognised  Parlia- 
ment as  legal,  while  he  made  a  private  meeting  of 
council  declare  the  recognition  null.  He  publicly  dis- 
claimed all  thoughts  of  calling  foreign  aid  against  his 
people,  while  privately  he  solicited  aid  from  France  and 
Denmark.  He  denied  that  he  employed  papists,  at 
the  same  time  he  privately  sent  his  generals  orders 
to  employ  every  papist  who  would  serve.1  On  one 
occasion,  a  daughter  of  William,  Earl  of  Devonshire, 
having  been  questioned  by  Laud  as  to  her  motives 
for  leaving  the  Church  of  England  for  that  of  Rome, 
playfully  replied  that  she  disliked  travelling  in  a  crowd. 
Her  meaning  being  obscure,  Laud  asked  what  she 
meant,  to  which  she  answered  :  "  I  perceive  your  grace 
and  many  others  are  making  haste  to  Rome,  and 
therefore  to  prevent  being  crowded,  I  have  gone  before 
you."  Strafford  and  Laud  were  intimate  friends.  The 
night  before  Strafford's  execution  he  sent  a  message  to 
Laud  to  present  himself  at  his  window  next  morning  as 
he  was  passing,  so  that  they  might  wish  each  other  a 
last  farewell.  Laud  was  not  at  the  window,  and 
Strafford  said:  "Give  me  leave  to  do  my  last  observance 
towards  his  rooms."  Laud,  however,  did  appear,  but 
being  feeble,  aged,  and  deeply  affected  at  the  con- 
templation of  Strafford's  death,  it  was  not  without 
difficulty  that  his  attendants  could  lead  him  to  the 
window.  Strafford  solemnly  requested  the  prayer  and 
1  Macaulay. 


of  Cbarles  I.  107 

blessing  of  Laud,  on  which  Laud,  lifting  up  his  hands 
to  heaven,  fervently  blessed  and  prayed  for  him.  A 
moment  afterwards,  overcome  by  grief  and  infirmity, 
he  sank  to  the  ground.1 

A  patent  was  issued  making  Prince  Rupert  Viceroy 
of  Scotland,  with  Montrose  as  his  lieutenant.  This 
was  in  return  for  military  success.  The  intention  of 
Montrose  was  to  march  from  England  with  a  force 
sufficiently  strong  to  make  its  way  through  Scotland 
until  joined  by  the  Highlanders  or  the  Irish  contingent. 
He,  however,  got  but  a  small  force,  800  foot  and  3 
troops  of  horse.  With  these  he  was  able  to  do  no  more 
than  harass  the  south-west  of  Scotland  and  drove 
the  Covenanters  out  of  Dumfries.  His  force  was 
insufficient  for  his  plans,  and  he  resolved  to  find  his 
way  in  disguise  to  the  place  where  he  would  discover 
his  supporters.  He  was  dressed  as  a  groom,  and 
feigned  attendance  on  Sir  William  Rollock  and  Colonel 
Sibbald,  who  virtually  were  in  attendance  on  him.  He 
thus  arrived  at  Tullibelton,  near  Perth,  where  he  met 
his  kinsman,  Graeme  of  Inchbrakie. 

The  battle  of  Tibbermore  took  place  on  ist 
September,  1644,  between  the  King's  troops,  led  by 
Montrose,  and  the  Covenanters,  led  by  Lords  Elcho 
and  Tullibardine ;  the  latter  were,  to  a  large  extent, 
composed  of  the  inhabitants  of  Perth.  On  both  sides 
the  troops  were  undisciplined,  the  Covenanters  especially 
so.  Montrose  went  from  Tullibelton  to  Blair  Castle, 
where  he  was  joined  by  the  Irish  contingent  under 
Alexander  Macdonald,  numbering  1,200  men.  The 
Highlanders  numbered  800,  so  that  Montrose  had  a 
force  of  2,000  rank  and  file.  Here  he  raised  his  standard, 
and  in  Highland  costume,  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  he 
marched  to  Perth.  At  Buchanty,  in  Glenalmond,  he 
was  joined  by  the  Menteith  men,  who  numbered  1,000 
more.  The  Covenanters  numbered  4,000.  Montrose's 
troops  began  the  battle  by  discharging  their  pieces,  and 
then  threw  them  down,  when  all  swept  forward  in  a 
1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


io8  iRogal  ifoouse  of  Stuart 

great  rush ;  the  Covenanters  got  confused,  broke  their 
ranks  and  scattered.  The  battle,  in  short,  was  a  fiasco, 
a  panic  having  seized  the  Covenanters,  who  fled  to 
Perth.  In  the  pursuit  400  of  them  were  slain.  It  has 
been  said  that  Lord  Drummond's  treachery  was  the 
cause  of  the  Covenanters'  defeat,  as  he  afterwards  went 
over  to  Montrose.  This,  however,  requires  confirmation. 
Montrose  took  possession  of  Perth  the  same  night,  and 
levied  on  the  town  a  subsidy  of  9,000  merks,  stipulating 
for  free  quarters  for  his  army  for  four  days.  He  then 
went  on  to  Aberdeen,  as  he  knew  Argyll  was  in  pursuit 
of  him. 

Montrose  reached  Aberdeen  with  1,500  men.  Here 
he  met  the  Covenanters  in  considerable  strength  under 
Lord  Burleigh,  whom  he  fought  and  defeated.  The 
town  surrendered  on  I3th  September.  This  was 
Montrose's  third  visit.  In  the  two  former  he  had 
compelled  the  inhabitants  to  submit  to  the  Covenant. 
Now  he  chastened  them  for  having  done  so.  For  a 
short  time  in  the  North,  Argyll  and  he  were  close 
to  each  other,  but  Argyll  in  the  beginning  of  winter 
retired  to  Inverary,  the  passes  there  being  almost 
impracticable. 

In  the  midst  of  winter  Montrose  took  his  army  over 
the  mountains,  where  travellers  have  perished  of  cold 
even  in  summer,  and  pounced  on  Argyll,  abiding  in 
security  on  the  banks  of  Loch  Linnhe.  The  surprise 
was  complete,  and  Argyll's  followers  fled  to  the  hills. 
Argyll  has  been  reproached  for  betaking  himself  to  his 
galley  instead  of  remaining  at  the  head  of  his  people. 
Montrose,  after  many  privations,  found  his  way  to 
Dundee,  and  afterwards  to  Auldearn,  Morayshire. 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  ist  February,  1645,  that 
Montrose  came  in  sight  of  Inverlochy.  The  Campbells 
were  soon  aware  of  his  approach,  as  it  was  moonlight, 
and  very  clear,  and  some  skirmishes  took  place  between 
the  hostile  forces,  who  lay  upon  their  arms  all  night. 
Argyll,  who  had  hurt  his  arm  by  a  fall  from  his  horse, 
and  wore  it  in  a  sling,  embarked  in  his  barge  and  lay 


IRefcjn  of  Cbarles  I.  109 

there  till  next  morning,  sending  his  orders  of  discipline 
to  Auchinbreck,  and  the  rest  of  his  officers  commanding 
the  battle.  At  sunrise  next  day  the  hostile  armies 
put  themselves  in  motion.  The  centre  and  reserve 
of  Argyll's  army  were  composed  of  his  own  clan. 
Montrose  stationed  one  of  the  Irish  regiments  on  each 
flank  and  the  third  in  reserve,  the  Highlanders  in  the 
centre ;  1,500  of  Argyll's  men,  it  is  said,  were  killed  in 
conflict  or  pursuit,  while  Montrose's  loss  was  small. 

Montrose  continued  to  lay  waste  the  North  of 
Scotland  in  his  zeal  for  Charles  I.  On  i/th  March, 
1645,  he  appears  to  have  burned  the  village  of  Durris, 
and  carried  off  sheep  and  cattle.  Fintray,  in  that 
locality,  was  served  in  the  same  manner.  On  2Oth 
March  he  led  his  troops  to  Dunnottar,  where  he 
summoned  the  Earl  Marischal  to  come  out  of  the  castle 
and  join  him  in  the  King's  service.  The  Earl  Marischal 
declined  to  fight  against  his  country,  and  on  receiving 
this  message  Montrose  set  about  burning  and  laying 
waste  the  lands,  set  fire  to  the  town  of  Stonehaven,  and 
to  all  the  fishing-boats  that  lay  in  the  harbour.  The 
manse  of  Dunnottar,  Fetteresso,  and  the  village  of 
Cowie  shared  the  same  fate.  Rapine  seemed  the  sole 
object  of  his  followers.  At  Fettercairn  Generals  Baillie 
and  Hurrie  opposed  Montrose,  but  though  there  was  a 
skirmish  no  battle  took  place.  Both  armies  resumed 
their  march,  and  arrived  respectively  at  Dunkeld  and 
Perth  nearly  at  the  same  time.  On  9th  May  both 
armies  met  at  Auldearn,  when  Montrose  gained  a  great 
victory.  It  is  said  that  between  two- and  three  thousand 
men  were  slain  in  this  engagement,  and  that  there 
were  no  prisoners.  Nairn  and  Elgin  were  plundered 
thereafter  by  Montrose,  and  Cullen  laid  in  ashes. 

Both  parties  then  proceeded  north,  and  again  met 
and  prepared  for  battle  at  Alford  (2nd  July),  each  side 
numbering  2,000.  The  Covenanters  were  again  defeated, 
but  Montrose  had  to  lament  the  loss  of  his  able  general, 
Lord  Gordon,  who  was  slain.  Montrose  proceeded 
south,  and  on  I3th  August  met  the  Covenanters  at 


no  IRogal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

Kilsyth  with  5,000  men,  when  the  Covenanters  again 
fared  worst.  At  this  engagement  Montrose  threw  off 
his  coat  and  waistcoat,  tucked  up  the  sleeves  of  his 
shirt,  at  the  same  time  drawing  his  sword  with  ferocious 
resolution.  His  cavalry  threw  off  their  upper  garments, 
while  the  infantry  stripped  themselves  naked  even  to 
the  feet,  and  in  this  state  were  ready  to  rush  upon  their 
opponents  before  they  could  take  up  the  places  assigned 
to  them.  It  is  said  that  this  battle  was  a  mere  massacre 
— a  race  of  fourteen  miles,  in  which  space  5,000  men 
were  cut  down  and  slain. 

After  Montrose's  victory  at  Kilsyth  he  lay  at  Bothwell. 
There  Sir  Robert  Spottiswoode,  formerly  President  of 
the  Court  of  Session,  now  Secretary  of  State  for  Scotland, 
appeared  in  his  camp,  bringing  with  him  a  commission 
from  the  King,  under  date,  Hereford,  25th  June,  1645, 
appointing  Montrose  Governor  and  Lieutenant-General 
of  Scotland,  with  new  and  extended  powers.  General 
Leslie,  hearing  of  Montrose's  success,  retired  from 
Hertford,  and  pushed  on  to  Scotland  to  intercept  him. 
In  the  beginning  of  September  Leslie  crossed  the 
Tweed  at  the  head  of  4,000  horse,  and  came  upon  him 
at  Philiphaugh  (i2th  September,  1645),  and  defeated 
him,  Montrose  losing  1,000  men,  and  narrowly  escaping 
with  his  life.  It  is  said  that  Leslie  abused  this  victory 
by  his  slaughter  of  prisoners  ;  some  being  shot  in  the 
courtyard  of  Newark  Castle  on  the  Yarrow.  When 
Leslie  appeared  Montrose  was  writing  despatches  to 
the  King  during  the  night  into  the  morning,  when  he 
heard  firing.  He  rode  off  instantly  to  his  troops  in 
time  to  order  a  resistance.  His  troops  were  attacked 
on  both  sides  simultaneously,  and  were  mostly  cut  down 
and  fled.  Wishart,  his  chaplain,  affirms  that  many  of 
the  fugitives  were  precipitated  from  a  high  bridge  into 
the  river  and  drowned,  and  a  number  of  the  wives  and 
children  of  the  Irish  soldiers  were  put  to  death  in  this 
way  at  Linlithgow.  The  captives  of  high  rank  were 
reserved  for  public  trial.  Colonel  O'Kyon  and  Major 
Lauchlin  were  hanged  on  the  castle  hill  of  Edinburgh, 


1Ret$n  of  Gbarles  I.  m 

and  Sir  William  Rollock,  Ogilvy  of  Inverquharity,  and 
Sir  William  Nisbet,  were  executed  at  Glasgow  in  the 
end  of  October. 

The  reports  of  this  engagement  are  conflicting. 
Another  report  says  the  battle  was  fought  in  the 
forenoon  of  next  day,  I3th  September.  Before  the 
action  began  Leslie  had  despatched  a  body  of  foot 
round  a  hill  on  his  right,  which,  at  a  given  signal,  could 
fall  on  Montrose's  left  flank  and  rear.  When  the 
moment  came  Leslie  led  a  charge  at  the  head  of  his 
own  regiment,  and  attacking  them  in  front  and  rear  the 
troops  of  Montrose  were  thrown  into  confusion. 

Montrose    escaped    from    Philiphaugh   with    a    few 
followers,  and  in  due  course  arrived  in  Atholl,  where 
he  raised   400  men.     In   December   he   laid   siege   to 
Inverness,  but  on  the  approach  of  General  Middleton 
he  was  obliged  to  make  his  escape  into  Ross-shire.     In 
May,  1646,  he  was  informed  of  the  King's  surrender  to 
the  Scottish  army,  and  received  the  King's  order  to 
disperse  his  troops  and  withdraw  from  the  kingdom. 
On  3rd  September  he  sailed  for  Norway,  and  from  there 
he  went  to  Paris  and  Germany.     Here  he  received  news 
of  the  death  of  the   King,  and  on  the   accession   of 
Charles  II.  he  received  a  commission  to  invade  Scot- 
land.     From     Denmark,    Sweden,    and    Holstein    he 
received    money,   ammunition    and    men,   and   on   his 
arrival   in   the   Orkneys   in    March,    1650,   with    1,500 
troops,  he  marched  to  the  hill  of  Ord  in  Sutherland- 
shire,   and   then   proceeded   to   the   neighbourhood   of 
Tain.     Here  he  was  entrapped  by  the  Earl  of  Suther- 
land and  Colonel  Strachan,  totally  defeated,  and  400 
of  his  men  taken  prisoners.     Montrose  made  his  escape, 
exchanged  clothes  with  a  peasant,  and  throwing  away 
his  cloak  and  sword  wandered  among  the  hills  on  foot. 
He  was  shortly  after  captured  by  the  Laird  of  Assynt, 
handed   over    to   his   enemies,   and    conveyed    to   the 
capital.     On   the  way,   at   the   house   of  Kirkaldy   of 
Grange  in  Fife,  he  had  a  change  of  raiment,  and  by 
the  assistance  of  an  old  lady  nearly  effected  his  escape. 


n2  tRogal  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

Montrose  deserted  the  Covenanters  because  he  dis- 
approved their  policy,  and  joined  himself  to  the  King's 
party.  He  was  a  brilliant  adherent  of  the  King  in 
respect  of  his  great  success  as  a  military  commander. 
Being  a  favourite  at  Court,  he  was,  in  1644,  created  first 
Marquis  of  Montrose,  in  recognition  of  his  distinguished 
services. 

Early  in  1645,  it  was  resolved  by  Parliament  that  the 
King  should  be  again  approached  on  the  subject  of 
peace.  Commissioners  were  chosen  on  both  sides,  and 
after  communication  with  the  King,  who  assented  to 
the  proposal,  the  Commissioners  at  the  close  of  January, 
1645,  met  at  Uxbridge,  sixteen  miles  north-west  of 
London,  in  the  house  still  pointed  out  as  the  "  Old 
Treaty  House  and  Crown  Inn,"  where  the  matter  was 
discussed.  At  this  conference  the  Scottish  Parliament 
were  represented  by  four  Commissioners,  with  Alexander 
Henderson  to  represent  the  Church.  In  the  quaint  old 
building  selected  for  this  famous  meeting,  there  was  a 
fair-sized  room  in  the  middle  of  the  house  handsomely 
and  specially  prepared,  and  a  large  square  table  in  the 
centre  with  seats  for  the  Commissioners ;  one  side 
being  sufficient  for  those  of  either  party,  and  a  rail  for 
others  who  should  be  present,  which  went  round.  The 
conference  met  to  discuss  the  abolition  of  Episcopacy  ; 
confirmation  of  the  Acts  of  the  Clergy  at  Westminster ; 
and  lastly,  Charles  to  sign  the  Covenant.  It  sat  for 
twenty  days  but  accomplished  nothing,  and  its  pro- 
ceedings terminated  in  an  unsatisfactory  manner  for  all 
concerned.  The  failure  of  the  conference  compelled 
both  sides  to  appeal  to  arms.  Fairfax,  who  had  laid 
siege  to  Oxford,  abandoned  the  undertaking,  and  on 
1 2th  June,  1645,  came  up  with  the  King  at  Harboro', 
and  during  the  night  killed  the  sentinels  of  the  Royal 
camp.  Early  next  morning,  Fairfax  put  his  troops  in 
motion,  and  at  Naseby  found  the  King's  army  drawn 
up  in  battle  array  on  a  rising  ground.  The  battle  was 
begun  by  Prince  Rupert,  nephew  of  the  King,  who,  with 
his  usual  impetuosity,  charged  the  left  wing  of  the  enemy 


1Ref0n  ot  Gbarles  I.  us 

under  Ireton,  threw  them  into  disorder,  and  drove  them 
from  the  field.  Ireton  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
The  infantry  of  either  side  hardly  saw  each  other  till 
they  were  within  carabine  shot.  After  one  volley  the 
King's  infantry  fell  on  them  with  their  swords  and  the 
butt-ends  of  their  muskets,  with  which  they  did 
execution,  and  put  the  enemy  in  disorder.  The 
Royalists'  right  wing  of  horse  and  foot  being  thus 
fortunately  engaged,  the  left  wing  under  Langdale 
advanced  with  equal  resolution,  and  was  attacked  by 
Cromwell,  who  commanded  the  right  wing  of  the 
enemy's  horse.  The  Royalists  gave  way,  and  four  of 
Cromwell's  divisions  pursued  them  to  prevent  them 
rallying  again.  Prince  Rupert,  with  the  right  wing, 
pursued  the  enemy's  horse,  whom  he  had  broken  and 
defeated.  The  King's  reserve  of  horse,  which  was  his 
own  guard,  with  himself  at  the  head  of  them,  were 
ready  to  charge  the  enemy  who  pursued  his  left  wing, 
when  on  a  sudden  such  a  panic  seized  them  that  they 
fled  from  the  battlefield.  The  King  was  compelled  to 
quit  the  field,  and  to  leave  the  enemy  masters  of  his 
foot,  cannon  and  baggage,  amongst  which  was  his 
cabinet  where  his  secret  papers  were ;  such  portions  of 
which  were  afterwards  printed  as  would  benefit  the 
rebels  and  condemn  him.  This  was  an  unfortunate 
battle  for  the  King  ;  above  150  officers  of  the  first  rank 
were  slain,  while  the  enemy  in  pursuit  slew  upwards  of 
100  women,  many  of  them  wives  of  officers.1  It  is 
recorded  that  the  total  number  slain  on  both  sides  was 
5,000.  The  King  was  in  trouble  after  this  battle,  and 
on  28th  June  sent  the  following  letter  to  his  son  : — 

If  I  should  at  any  be  taken  prisoner  I  command 
you  never  to  yield  to  any  conditions  which  are  dis- 
honourable, unsafe  for  your  person,  or  derogatory  to  the 
Royal  authority,  though  it  were  for  the  saving  of  my 
life ;  which,  in  such  a  case,  I  am  most  confident  is  in 
greatest  security  by  your  constant  resolution,  and  not  a 
1  Clarendon. 

VOL.    II.  H 


Ibouse  of  Stuart 

whit  the  more  in  danger  for  their  threatening  unless 
thereby  you  should  yield  to  their  desires.  But  let  their 
resolutions  be  never  so  barbarous,  the  saving  of  my 
life  by  complying  with  them  would  make  an  end  of  my 
days  with  torture  and  disquiet  of  mind.  .  .  .  Your 
constancy  will  make  me  die  cheerfully,  praising  God 
for  giving  me  so  gallant  a  son.  I  charge  you  keep  this 
letter  safe  by  you  until  you  have  cause  to  use  it,  and 
then,  and  not  till  then,  to  show  it  to  all  your  council. 

CHARLES  R. 

The  King  then  proceeded  to  Cardiff,  afterwards  to 
Brecknock  in  Wales,  where,  on  5th  August,  1645,  he 
wrote  his  son  : — 

It  is  very  fit  for  me  now  to  prepare  for  the  worst.  .  .  . 
Wherefore  know  that  my  pleasure  is  whenever  you  find 
yourself  in  apparent  danger  of  falling  into  the  rebels' 
hands,  that  you  convey  yourself  to  France,  and  there  be 
under  your  mother's  care,  who  is  to  have  the  full  power 
of  your  education,  except  religion;  and  in  that  not  to 
meddle  at  all  but  leave  it  entirely  to  your  tutor,  the 
bishop  of  Salisbury.  And  for  the  performance  of  this 
I  command  you  to  require  the  assistance  of  your 
council,  and  by  their  advice  the  service  of  everyone 
whom  you  and  they  shall  think  fit  to  be  employed  in 
this  matter,  which  I  expect  should  be  performed  with 
all  obedience  without  grumbling. 

CHARLES  R. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  Prince  obeyed  this  order. 
The  King  thereafter  went  to  Welbeck,  where  the 
Governor  of  Newark  and  the  commissioners  for 
Nottingham  and  Lincoln  resorted  to  him,  and  assured 
him  that  they  were  as  ready  as  ever  to  serve  him.  He 
then  proceeded  to  Doncaster  (August,  1645),  where  his 
supporters  raised  3,000  troops,  and  undertook  within 
twenty-four  hours  to  appear  well  armed,  and  accompany 
the  King  wherever  he  might  go.  The  news  of  General 


TCeign  of  Cbarles  I.  115 

Leslie  and  the  Scots  being  within  ten  miles  of  Doncaster 
compelled  the  King  to  fall  back  on  Newark,  thence 
on  Oxford.  Thereafter  Leslie  pursued  his  march 
to  Scotland,  overtook  and  defeated  Montrose  at 
Philiphaugh,  I3th  September,  1645,  as  already  referred 
to,  and  returned  in  time  to  relieve  the  Scottish  forces 
after  they  were  compelled  to  retire  from  Hertford.  The 
King  from  Oxford  went  to  the  relief  of  Hertford. 
Bristol,  of  which  Prince  Rupert  was  governor, 
capitulated  after  four  days'  siege.  The  King  was 
highly  incensed  at  this,  and  in  a  letter  to  Prince 
Rupert,  of  I4th  September,  the  King  sent  a  revocation 
of  all  commissions  formerly  granted  to  Prince  Rupert 
because  he  surrendered  Bristol,  and  signified  his  pleasure 
to  the  Lords  of  the  Council  at  Oxford,  whether  the 
Prince  had  retired  with  his  troops  from  Bristol,  that 
they  should  require  him  to  deliver  into  their  hands  his 
commission.  As  the  Prince  was  a  favourite  with  the 
people,  the  King  gave  offence  by  this  high-handed 
proceeding.  The  King  was  anxious  that  Prince 
Charles  should  go  to  France  for  safety,  and  in  the 
middle  of  October  he  wrote  Lord  Culpepper  that — 

Lord  Goring  must  break  through  to  Oxford  with  his 
horse,  and  from  thence,  if  he  can  find  me  out  wherever 
he  shall  understand  I  shall  be,  the  region  about  Newark 
being  as  I  conceive  the  most  likely  place.  But  that 
which  is  of  more  necessity,  indeed  absolute,  is  that  with 
the  best  convenience,  the  most  secrecy,  the  greatest 
expedition  Prince  Charles  be  transported  to  France, 
where  his  mother  is  to  have  the  sole  care  of  him  in  all 
things  but  one,  which  is  his  religion,  and  that  must  still 
be  under  the  care  of  the  bishop  of  Salisbury,  and  this  I 
undertake  his  mother  shall  submit  to.  CHARLES  R. 

The  affairs  of  the  King  were  becoming  desperate. 
The  Lords  opposed  the  Prince  going  out  of  the  country, 
believing  that  his  presence  constituted  a  source  of 
security.  The  movements  of  the  King  were  strictly 


n6  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

watched  by  Cromwell.  He  proposed  to  go  to  Worcester, 
but  he  found  the  enemy  were  there.  He  then  went  to 
Chester  in  the  hope  of  going  to  the  North  of  England 
and  Scotland.  He  was  intercepted  at  Chester,  and  a 
battle  was  fought  there,  when  he  was  defeated.  The 
defeat  broke  up  all  the  body  of  horse  which  had  attended 
him  from  the  battle  of  Naseby,  and  who  fled  in  order  to 
save  themselves.  After  the  battle  of  Chester  he  went  to 
Wales.  His  unfortunate  position  was  very  much  his 
own  fault,  and  the  removal  of  the  Court  to  Oxford  was 
another  blunder. 

This  year  took  place  the  trial  and  condemnation  of 
a  distinguished  Scotsman,  Sir  Robert  Spottiswoode, 
President  of  the  College  of  Justice,  son  of  the  Arch- 
bishop. He  was  taken  prisoner  by  Leslie  at 
Philiphaugh.  The  trial  took  place  in  the  Parliament 
held  at  St.  Andrews,  and  the  crime  charged  against  him 
was  high  treason.  It  was  not  sufficiently  proved,  but 
notwithstanding  that,  he  was  condemned  to  be  executed, 
to  the  great  regret  of  the  Scottish  nation.  The  historian 
says  the  execution  of  Spottiswoode  was  peculiarly 
unjust.  He  had  framed  the  commission  to  Montrose, 
and  had  signed  it,  and  accepted  the  office  of  Secretary, 
which  the  Parliament  had  formerly  conferred  on  Lanark. 
He  was  convicted,  therefore,  of  an  obsolete  treason, 
because  he  impugned  the  authority  of  the  Three 
Estates  ;  but  his  sentence  may  more  truly  be  ascribed 
to  his  supporting  Montrose  against  the  English 
Parliament. 

In  December,  1645,  tne  King  resolved  to  sue  for 
peace,  if  that  were  possible,  and  in  a  despatch  to 
Parliament  he  said :  "  Since  all  other  overtures  had 
proved  ineffectual,  he  desired  to  enter  into  a  personal 
treaty  with  both  Houses,  and  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Scottish  Parliament,  on  all  matters  that  might  conduce 
to  the  peace  and  happiness  of  the  kingdom.  To  that 
purpose  he  would  come  to  London  with  an  escort  not 
exceeding  300  persons,  if  he  might  have  the  approval 
of  Parliament,  the  Scots  Commissioners,  and  the  chief 


1Ref0n  ot  Cbarles  I.  "? 

officers  of  both  armies  for  his  free  and  safe  coming  to, 
and  abode  in  London,  for  forty  days,  and  after  that  for 
his  safe  return  to  Oxford  if  a  peace  should  not  be 
concluded."  To  this  a  prompt  answer  was  sent,  "  that 
the  personal  treaty  required  by  the  King  after  so  much 
innocent  bloodshed  in  the  war  by  his  commands  and 
commission,  they  conceived,  until  satisfaction  and 
security  were  first  given  to  both  kingdoms,  his  coming 
thither  would  not  be  convenient,  nor  by  them  assented 
to.  Nor  did  they  apprehend  it  a  means  conducing  to 
peace  to  accept  of  a  treaty  for  a  few  days,  with  any 
thoughts  or  intentions  of  returning  to  hostilities  again. 
They  would  shortly  send  some  bills  to  him,  the  signing 
of  which  would  be  the  best  way  to  procure  a  good  and 
a  safe  peace."  They  further  published  an  ordinance 
"that  if  the  King  should,  contrary  to  the  advice  of 
Parliament,  come,  or  attempt  to  come,  within  the  lines 
of  communication,  the  committee  of  the  militia  should 
raise  such  forces  as  they  think  fit  to  prevent  any  tumult 
that  might  arise  by  his  coming,  and  to  suppress  any 
that  should  happen  ;  and  to  apprehend  any  that  should 
come  with  him  or  resort  to  him,  and  to  secure  his 
person  from  danger.  All  who  had  ever  borne  arms  for 
His  Majesty  should  immediately  leave  London,  under 
penalty  of  being  proceeded  against  as  spies."  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  this  communication,  which  prevented  the 
restoration  of  peace,  was  dictated  by  Cromwell. 

Queen  Henrietta  Maria  had  gone  to  France  for 
safety,  and  her  son,  Prince  Charles,  a  youth  of 
sixteen  years,  had  gone  to  the  Scilly  Isles  for 
a  short  period.  A  letter  which  shows  the  brilliant 
intellect  of  the  Queen  was,  on  6th  April,  1646,  sent 
by  her  from  Paris  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer, 
Sir  Edward  Hyde,  as  follows  : — 

My  Lord  Culpepper  must  witness  for  me  that  I  have 
patiently  heard  all  that  he  could  say  concerning  the 
condition  of  Scilly,  and  all  that  has  been  proposed  for 
rendering  the  abode  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  there  safe ; 


Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

yet  I  must  confess  that  I  am  so  far  from  being 
satisfied  that  I  shall  not  sleep  in  quiet  until  I  shall 
hear  that  the  Prince  shall  be  removed  from  thence. 
It  is  admitted  that  it  is  not  sufficiently  fortified  and 
is  accessible  in  divers  places ;  while  the  maning  of  the 
works  will  require  1,000  men  more  than  you  have, 
and  for  ought  I  see,  you  can  procure.  Neither  can 
you  be  confident  that  the  loss  of  Cornwall  may  not 
suddenly  have  a  dangerous  influence  on  that  garrison, 
most  of  your  soldiers  being  of  that  country.  The 
power  of  Parliament  at  sea  is  so  great  that  you 
cannot  rely  on  the  seasonable  and  safe  conveyance 
of  such  supplies  of  provisions  as  so  great  a  garrison 
will  require.  I  need  not  remind  you  of  what  impor- 
tance to  the  King  and  all  his  party  the  safety  of  the 
Prince's  person  is.  If  he  should  fall  into  the  rebels' 
hands,  the  whole  would  thereby  become  desperate ; 
therefore  I  must  importunately  conjure  you  to  manage 
this  work  as  the  principal  service  you  can  do  for  the 
King,  me,  or  the  Prince.  Culpepper  will  tell  you  how 
I  have  strained  to  assist  you  with  provisions,  shipping, 
and  money  necessary  for  the  Prince's  removal  to  Jersey, 
where,  be  confident  of  it,  he  shall  want  nothing. 

In  the  first  session  of  the  first  triennial  Parliament 
of  Charles  I.,  the  Estates,  considering  that  the  pro- 
fanation of  the  Sabbath  is  occasioned  by  keeping 
fairs  on  Saturday  and  Monday  as  it  was  by  keep- 
ing weekly  markets  on  those  days,  do  therefore 
intimate  and  discharge  all  burghs  and  towns  of 
keeping  fairs  on  Saturday  or  Monday,  under  the 
penalty  contained  in  the  act  passed  in  1640  against 
keeping  weekly  markets  on  those  days.  In  1646  an 
act  was  passed  for  having  a  school  in  every  parish, 
ordaining  the  heritors  to  provide  the  same,  as  also 
schoolhouse  and  salary. 


CHARLES    I. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Daniel  Mytens,  in  the  National  Gallery.) 


CHAPTER  IV. 

King's  surrender  to  General  Leslie — His  surrender  to  the  English 
— Seizure  of  the  King  by  Cromwell's  Army — Kidnapping  of 
the  King — Proclamation  disapproving — Declaration  of  the 
Scottish  Parliament — The  King  and  his  Children — Impeach- 
ment of  eleven  Members  of  Commons— Escape  of  the  King 
to  the  Isle  of  Wight — Captured  and  imprisoned — Antagonism 
of  Scottish  Parliament — King  to  be  prosecuted — His  release 
demanded — Battle  of  Preston — The  Earl  of  Traquair — Isle 
of  Wight  Conference — Parliament  and  Cromwell  quarrel — 
House  of  Commons  :  Members  seized — Arrested  members 
led  in  Triumph — Cromwell's  Parliament — Impeachment  and 
trial  of  the  King — Bradshaw's  speech  giving  sentence — 
Execution  of  the  King  —  His  Character  and  Family — 
Executions  of  Hamilton,  Holland  and  Capel. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  I. 

A.D.    1625 — 1649. 

THE  unfortunate  King  suffered  many  privations,  many 
of  which  are  not  recorded.  After  the  battle  of  Naseby, 
he  is  reported  as  wandering  about  without  a  place  to 
lay  his  head ;  sometimes  he  starved ;  sometimes  the 
entry  in  the  journal  is  "  dinner  in  the  field."  "  No 
dinner,"  is  the  entry  for  several  successive  days,  and 
another,  "  Sunday,  no  dinner  ;  supper  at  Worcester — a 
cruel  day  "  ;  another  entry,  "  His  Majesty  lay  in  the 
field  all  night."  When  the  King  and  his  exhausted 
attendants  were  wandering  among  the  mountains  of 
Wales,  he  was  glad  to  dine  on  a  pullet  and  some 
cheese;  the  goodwife  who  ministered  to  his  wants 
having  but  one  cheese,  and  the  King's  attendants  being 
importunate  in  their  hunger,  she  came  in  and  carried 
it  off  from  the  Royal  table." 1  Often  the  King  rode 

.  1  Sir  Henry  Slingsby. 
119 


120  IRogal  Douse  ot  Stuart 

hard  through  the  night  and  saw  the  break  of  day, 
which  only  recalled  him  to  anxious  cares,  or  retreat, 
or  a  pursuit.  Once,  late  in  the  evening,  he  dismissed 
some  followers  with  these  words :  "  Go  you  and  take 
your  rest ;  you  have  houses  and  houses,  and  beds  to 
lodge  in,  and  families  to  love  and  live  with,  but  I 
have  none."  He  sometimes  compared  himself  to  a 
partridge  hunted  on  the  mountains.  But  he  said  :  "  As 
God  has  given  me  afflictions  to  exercise  my  patience, 
so  hath  He  given  me  patience  to  bear  my  afflictions." 

The  battle  of  Naseby  and  subsequent  events  could 
not  but  seriously  affect  the  King's  prospects,  which 
it  did,  and  led  to  the  upsetting  of  all  his  plans.  On 
27th  April,  1646,  in  view  of  the  highly  critical  con- 
dition to  which  the  political  troubles  had  reduced  him, 
he  selected  two  companions  to  accompany  him  in  his 
wanderings.  These  were  Dr.  Hudson,  a  clergyman, 
and  John  Ashburnham,  his  groom  of  the  bedchamber, 
and  he  finally  left  Oxford.  The  King  was  disguised 
as  the  servant  of  Ashburnham.  Their  first  stage  was 
Dorchester ;  afterwards  proceeding  as  near  to  London 
as  Brentford,  the  ancient  Saxon  capital.  Proceeding 
next  to  Lancashire,  they  in  the  course  of  their 
pilgrimage  arrived  at  the  Scottish  camp  at  Newark, 
Nottinghamshire,  where  the  King,  as  a  last  resource, 
surrendered  himself  to  General  Leslie.  It  is  recorded 
that  at  Newark,  on  one  occasion,  at  divine  service,  the 
preacher  gave  out  Psalm  Hi.  (ed.  1633),  which  commences: 

Why  dost  thou,  tyrant,  boast  abroad, 

Thy  wicked  deeds  to  praise? 
Dost  thou  not  know  there  is  a  God, 

Whose  mercies  last  always  ? 

As  soon  as  the  words  were  uttered,  the  King  rose 
from  his  seat  and  proposed  to  substitute  Psalm  Ivi., 
same  version,  which  begins  : 

Have  mercy,  Lord,  on  me,  I  pray, 

For  man  would  me  devour. 
He  fighteth  with  me  night  and  day, 

And  troubleth  me  each  hour. 

The  worshippers  supported  the  King,  and  sang  the 
more  appropriate  verses. 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  121 

The  Scots  had  three  courses  open  to  them : — They 
might  set  him  at  liberty  to  go  abroad ;  they  might 
carry  him  with  them  to  Scotland ;  or  they  might 
surrender  him  to  the  English  Parliament.  To  have 
permitted  him  to  go  abroad  would  probably  have 
involved  the  renewal  of  civil  war ;  to  have  taken  him 
into  Scotland  would  have  endangered  every  advantage 
they  had  gained  at  the  expense  of  treasure  and  blood. 
The  alternative  of  handing  him  over  to  the  English  was 
in  the  interest  of  both  kingdoms.1  There  is  probably 
nothing  to  be  said  against  this  opinion,  but  it  was  the 
duty  of  the  Scots  in  surrendering  their  sovereign  to 
make  a  proper  stipulation  as  they  did  for  the  safety 
of  his  life. 

Fairfax,  Cromwell's  Lieutenant-General,  arrived  at 
Oxford  five  days  after  the  King  had  gone,  and  was 
much  disappointed  he  had  missed  the  opportunity  of 
capturing  him.  On  i$th  May,  1646,  the  Scottish  troops 
moved  north  to  Newcastle,  which  had  been  captured 
by  them  some  time  before,  in  order  that  they  might 
more  effectually  protect  the  King  and  keep  him  to 
themselves.  During  his  abode  with  the  Scots  at 
Newcastle  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  discussions 
with  one  of  the  Scots  divines,  Alexander  Henderson, 
on  the  fundamental  principles  of  Church  government, 
especially  whether  the  order  of  the  primitive  Church 
was  prelatic  or  Presbyterian.  The  King  remained  with 
the  Scots  army  upwards  of  eight  months.  They  could 
not  take  him  to  Scotland  without  incurring  war  with 
England,  but  from  the  earnestness  of  their  endeavours 
to  gain  over  the  King  to  the  Presbyterian  cause,  it  is 
clear  that  had  he  accepted  that  alternative  they  would 
have  faced  this  formidable  war.2  When  Parliament 
learned  where  the  King  was  they  requested  Leslie  to 
deliver  him  up,  and  return  to  their  own  country,  as  the 
war  was  at  an  end  ;  but  the  request  was  refused.  In 
July  Parliament  sent  propositions  of  peace  to  the  King, 
and  after  protracted  negotiations  the  King  replied  :  "  No 
1  Hume  Brown.  2  Hill  Burton. 


122  IRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

condition  could  be  half  so  miserable  and  grievous  to 
him  as  that  which  they  would  persuade  him  to  reduce 
himself  to,  and  therefore  bade  them  proceed  their  own 
way ;  though  they  had  all  forsaken  him  God  had  not." 
Parliament,  having  received  this  answer,  ordered  the 
Scots  to  quit  the  kingdom  and  deliver  the  King  into 
the  hands  of  such  persons  as  they  would  appoint.  The 
Scots  denied  that  the  English  Parliament  had  power  to 
dispose  of  the  person  of  the  King  without  their  leave ; 
and  Parliament  replied  that  they,  the  Scots,  had  nothing 
to  do  in  England  but  to  obey  their  orders,  and  they 
would  exact  obedience  if  they  refused  to  yield  it.  The 
result  of  this  acrimonious  discussion  was  that  the  Scots, 
who  were  instructed  by  the  Scottish  Parliament  not  to 
take  the  King  to  Edinburgh,  agreed  to  deliver  him  to  the 
English  Parliament  for  .£400,000,  of  which  £200,000  to 
be  paid  down,  and  payment  of  remainder  on  dates  to  be 
agreed  upon.1  In  this  manner  the  King  was  surrendered 
to  his  enemies  on  8th  January,  1647,  transferred  to 
Holmby,  near  Northampton,  where  he  remained  five 
months,  and  the  Scots  army  returned  to  Scotland.  He 
was  treated  with  respect  and  attention,  but  made  to 
know  he  was  a  prisoner ;  what  displeased  him  most  was 
the  dismissal  of  his  chaplains,  and  Presbyterian  ones 
put  in  their  places.  He  refused  to  attend  their 
devotions,  preferring  to  read  his  Prayer-book  in  his 
bedroom. 

On  1 4th  January,  1647,  the  King  submitted  a  paper 
to  the  Scots  Commissioners  desiring  to  know  if  he  was 
a  free  man  or  a  prisoner ;  to  this  he  got  an  evasive 
answer.  Two  days  after,  the  Scottish  Parliament,  in 
spite  of  the  opposition  of  Hamilton  and  his  friends, 
agreed  to  deliver  up  the  King  to  the  English  Parlia- 
ment. When  this  resolution  was  carried,  Hamilton 
gave  a  decided  negative,  the  Earl  of  Crawford,  President 
of  Parliament,  in  signing  the  warrant  of  surrender, 
recorded  his  solemn  protest  against  it  as  an  individual, 
and  the  Earl  of  Lanark,  Hamilton's  brother,  declared  : 
1  Clarendon. 


IRefgn  of  Gbarles  I.  123 

"  As  God  shall  have  mercy  on  my  soul  at  the  great  day, 
I  would  choose  rather  to  have  my  head  struck  off  than 
give  my  consent  to  this  vote." 

The  surrender  of  the  King  by  Leslie  is  a  matter  that 
has  given  rise  to  some  controversy.  So  far  as  can  be 
learned  the  English  Parliament  were  owing  the  Scots  a 
large  sum  of  money,  stated  by  one  historian1  at  two 
millions  sterling,  for  military  services  rendered  by  the 
Scottish  army  in  England,  in  aiding,  by  request,  the 
English  troops  to  fight  and  capture  the  King.  To 
maintain  such  a  large  force  in  England  was  an 
expensive  operation,  and  Leslie  had  entirely  failed  in 
getting  any  money  from  the  English  Parliament  to  pay 
his  troops.  The  King,  surrendering  to  Leslie,  put 
Leslie  in  a  very  delicate  position,  Leslie  being  on 
English  ground,  paid  by  the  English  Parliament,  con- 
sequently was  not  in  a  position  to  refuse  to  surrender 
the  King  without  running  the  risk  of  himself  and  his 
troops  being  annihilated.  He  therefore  resolved  that 
this  was  the  time  to  demand  payment  of  what  England 
was  owing,  and  that  sum  was  assessed  at  the  amount 
just  named — ^"400,000. 

We  come  now  to  a  curious  incident  in  the  narrative  •. 
the  forcible  seizure  of  the  King  by  the  army.  Parlia- 
ment and  the  army  were  not  altogether  in  sympathy, 
for  although  Cromwell  was  the  head  of  the  latter,  his 
influence  in  Parliament  was  not  absolute,  for  Epis- 
copalians and  Presbyterians  alike  were  opposed  to  him. 
Cromwell  posed  as  an  independent  in  civil  and  religious 
matters.  It  would  appear  that  on  3rd  June,  1647,  Joyce, 
a  cornet  in  the  army,  went  to  Holmby  with  a 
squadron  of  horse  about  break  of  day,  and  without  any 
interruption  from  the  guard  knocked  at  the  King's 
chamber  door,  and  said  he  must  presently  speak  with 
the  King.  The  King,  much  surprised,  rose  out  of  his 
bed,  and  half-dressed,  caused  the  door  to  be  opened, 
which  he  knew  otherwise  would  be  quickly  broken  open. 
As  soon  as  the  door  was  opened,  Joyce  and  two  or 

1  Hume. 


124  1Ro£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

three  more  came  into  the  chamber  with  their  hats  off, 
and  pistols  in  their  hands.  Joyce  told  the  King  that  he 
must  go  with  him.  The  King  asked  whither.  Joyce : 
"  To  the  army."  He  asked  where  the  army  was,  and 
was  told  they  would  carry  him  to  where  it  was.  The 
King  asked  by  what  authority.  Joyce:  "  By  this  !  "  and 
showed  him  his  pistol,  desiring  the  King  at  the  same 
time  to  get  dressed,  because  it  was  necessary  they 
should  make  haste.  None  of  the  other  soldiers  spoke  a 
word.  The  King  said  he  could  not  stir  before  he  spoke 
with  the  committee  to  whom  he  had  been  delivered  and 
were  trusted  by  Parliament,  and  desired  one  of  those 
who  waited  upon  him  to  call  them.  The  committee 
had  been  as  much  surprised  by  the  noise  as  the  King 
had  been,  and  quickly  came  to  his  chamber,  and  asked 
Joyce  "whether  he  had  any  orders  from  Parliament." 
He  said  "No."  From  the  general,  "No."  What 
authority  had  he  ?  He  held  up  his  pistol.  They  said 
they  would  write  to  the  Parliament  to  know  their 
pleasure.  Joyce  said  they  might  do  so,  but  the  King 
must  presently  go  with  him.  Colonel  Brown  had  sent 
for  some  of  the  troops  who  were  appointed  for  the 
King's  guard,  but  they  came  not.  He  then  spoke  to 
the  officer  who  commanded  the  guard  on  duty,  and 
found  they  would  make  no  resistance.  The  King  then 
breakfasted,  went  into  his  carriage  attended  by  some  of 
his  servants,  and  went  away  with  Joyce.  Parliament 
were  immediately  advised  of  this  extraordinary  incident. 
The  general  of  the  army  wrote,  explaining  that  the 
King's  removal  was  without  his  consent,  or  of  the 
officers  about  him,  or  of  the  army  ;  that  he  would  take 
care  for  the  security  of  the  King's  person  from  danger, 
and  assured  them  that  the  army  desired  peace,  and  were 
far  from  opposing  Presbytery  or  affecting  independence, 
or  maintaining  a  licentious  freedom  in  religion,  but  were 
resolved  to  leave  the  determination  of  all  to  Parliament. 
Parliament  was  much  displeased  at  the  seizure  of  the 
King,  and  issued  a  proclamation  that  they  desired  to 
bring  the  King  in  honour  to  his  Parliament ;  which 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  125 

was  their  business  from  the  beginning;  that  he  was 
detained  prisoner  against  his  will  in  the  army,  and  that 
they  had  great  reason  to  apprehend  the  safety  of  his 
person.  The  army  replied  that  the  King  was  neither 
prisoner,  nor  detained  against  his  will,  and  appealed  to 
His  Majesty  and  all  his  friends  who  had  access  to  him, 
whether  he  had  not  more  liberty,  and  was  treated  with 
more  respect,  since  he  came  into  the  army,  than  he  had 
at  Holmby  or  with  that  retinue  that  the  Parliament  had 
appointed.  The  Corporation  of  London  went  with 
Parliament  and  against  the  army.  Parliament  was 
afraid  lest  the  army  should  make  an  agreement  with 
the  King,  and  unite  with  his  party,  a  combination  that 
would  have  been  serious.  Parliament  afterwards  tried 
to  persuade  the  King  to  own  his  being  detained  prisoner 
by  the  army  against  his  will ;  or  withdraw  himself  in 
some  way  from  them,  and  return  to  Whitehall.  The 
army  was  indifferent  about  the  authority  of  Parliament 
until  the  Corporation  joined  it,  when  they  felt  that  the 
result  might  be  to  stop  the  pay  of  the  army. 

The  Scottish  Parliament,  at  this  serious  crisis  issued 
the  following  declaration  : — Whereas  it  pleased  God  to 
join  the  kingdoms  of  Scotland,  England  and  Ireland  in 
solemn  league  and  covenant,  for  Reformation  and  the 
defence  of  religion,  the  honour  and  happiness  of  the 
King,  and  their  own  peace  and  safety.  In  pursuance 
thereof,  the  Scots  army  being  in  England,  the  King 
came  into  their  quarters  before  Newark,  and  proposed 
to  come  with  a  full  and  absolute  intention  to  give  all 
just  satisfaction  to  the  desires  of  both  kingdoms,  and 
with  no  thought  of  continuing  the  war  any  longer,  or 
make  division  between  the  kingdoms.  .  .  .  Seeing  the 
Parliament  of  England  has  communicated  to  the  Scots 
Commissioners  at  Newcastle  their  resolution  that 
Holmby  House,  Northampton,  is  the  place  which  both 
houses  think  fit  for  the  King  to  come  to,  there  to 
remain  with  such  attendants  as  Parliament  shall 
appoint,  respect  being  held  to  the  safety  and  preserva- 
tion of  his  person.  .  .  .  The  Estates  declare  their 


126  TRo^al  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

concurrence  with  the  King  going  to  Holmby  House,  or 
some  other  house  in  or  about  London,  there  to  remain 
till  he  gives  satisfaction  to  both  kingdoms  in  the  pro- 
positions for  peace  ;  and  that  in  the  interim  there  be  no 
harm,  violence  or  injury  done  to  his  person  ;  that  there 
be  no  change  of  Government,  and  that  his  posterity  in 
no  way  be  prejudiced  in  their  lawful  succession  to  the 
crown ;  and  as  this  is  the  clear  intention  and  full 
resolution  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  according  to 
their  interest  and  duty  to  the  King,  they  are  confident 
the  same  is  the  resolution  of  their  brethren.1 

The  King  desired  to  see  his  children,  and  Fairfax 
wrote  Parliament,  "  that  the  King  much  desired  to  have 
the  sight  and  company  of  his  children,  and  that  if  they 
might  not  be  allowed  to  be  longer  with  him,  that  at 
least  they  might  dine  with  him,"  and  he  sent  them  word 
that  on  such  a  day  "  the  King,  who  attended  the  motion 
of  the  army  and  was  quartered  only  where  they  pleased, 
would  dine  at  Maidenhead."  There  his  children  met 
him  to  his  infinite  joy,  and  he  being  to  stay  some  time 
at  Lord  Craven's  house  in  that  neighbourhood,  the 
children  were  allowed  to  go  there,  where  they  remained 
two  days.  This  great  favour  the  King  imputed  to  the 
civility  of  Fairfax,  and  the  good  disposition  of  the  army. 
Cromwell  was  present  at  the  first  interview,  and  after- 
wards described  the  scene  to  Sir  John  Berkeley  as  one 
of  the  most  affecting  he  ever  witnessed. 

On  1 5th  June,  1647,  at  the  instance  of  General 
Fairfax,  commander  of  the  army,  eleven  members  of 
the  House  of  Commons — Hollis,  Stapleton,  Lewis,  etc. — 
were  impeached  as  traitors  and  delinquents  ;  that  is  to 
say,  they  took  the  side  of  the  King  against  Parliament, 
induced  the  King  to  raise  forces  to  defeat  Parliament 
and  promote  dissension  and  disaffection  in  the  kingdom, 
and  were  in  communication  with  the  exiled  Queen  in 
France ;  there  were  no  less  than  twenty-five  counts  in 
the  indictment.  After  eighteen  months  protracted 
negotiations  between  Parliament  and  General  Fairfax 
1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


of  Cbarles  I.  127 

of  a  highly  acrimonious  nature,  both  sides  became 
unreasonable,  and  Parliament  declined  the  demands  of 
Fairfax  or  the  army.  The  latter,  at  the  end  of  the 
negotiations,  said  :  "  Having,  with  others,  for  a  long 
while  sadly  beheld  and  tasted  in  your  proceedings  the 
miserable  fruits  of  councils  divided  and  corrupted  by 
faction  and  personal  interest,  even  to  the  neglecting, 
betraying  and  casting  away  all  public  good ;  to  the 
lengthening  out  of  endless  troubles  ;  the  continuance 
and  widening  of  that  issue  of  blood  whereby  the  nation 
has  been  so  long  polluted  and  consumed  ;  and  seeing 
no  other  or  better  way  we  demand  as  follows  : — These 
eleven  members,  on  clear  proof  against  them,  were  by 
your  censure  expelled  the  House ;  on  new  writs  being 
issued  new  members  were  chosen  and  returned  in  some 
of  their  places,  and  yet  by  the  influence  of  their  faction, 
when  in  last  summer's  wars,  several  members  were 
engaged  abroad  on  public  service,  and  others  through 
disturbances  could  not  safely  attend  the  House.  The 
same  persons  were  afterwards  readmitted  to  sit  in  the 
House  and  vote  as  formerly  without  any  trial  or  satis- 
faction in  the  things  whereof  they  were  accused.  We 
therefore  demand  that  these  members  so  impeached 
may  be  forthwith  secured  and  brought  to  justice,  and 
such  others  of  their  faction  excluded  from  the  House." 
The  House  refused  to  be  dictated  to,  and  Parliament 
and  the  army  quarrelled. 

The  Speakers  of  both  Houses  and  various  members 
retired  and  went  over  to  the  army,  whereupon  the 
Houses  chose  new  Speakers,  and  the  Commons  voted 
that  these  eleven  members  impeached  by  the  army 
should  appear  and  take  their  places  as  formerly.  The 
army  was  indignant  at  this ;  the  General  sent  a  party 
of  horse  who  advanced  to  Windsor  and  appointed  the 
rendezvous  of  the  army  to  be  at  Hounslow  Heath. 
The  force  amounted  to  20,000.  The  King  was  removed 
to  Hampton  Court,  which  was  prepared  specially  for 
his  reception.  The  Lord  Mayor  and  Common  Council 
met  and  resolved  to  submit  to  the  army,  and  at  Hyde 


128  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

Park  they  met  the  General  and  congratulated  him  on 
his  arrival,  and  as  a  testimony  of  their  affection  and 
duty  the  Mayor,  on  behalf  of  the  city,  presented  a  gold 
cup  to  the  General,  which  he  sullenly  refused  to  receive, 
and  with  very  little  ceremony  dismissed  them.  The 
General  waited  on  the  two  Speakers  and  conducted 
them  and  other  members  to  the  two  Houses,  where  the 
other  members  were  sitting.  When  the  old  Speakers 
entered  the  House  they  resumed  their  places,  and  entered 
on  business  as  if  nothing  had  occurred  since  they  were 
there  before.  The  General  was  called  in  and  thanked 
for  the  protection  he  had  given  them  and  his  vindication 
of  the  privileges  of  Parliament.  They  then  voted  that 
all  that  had  been  done  by  themselves  in  going  to  the 
army,  and  all  that  had  been  done  by  the  army,  was  well 
and  lawfully  done ;  also,  that  all  that  had  been  done  by 
both  Houses  since  their  departure  was  against  law  and 
the  privilege  of  Parliament,  invalid  and  void.  They 
then  adjourned.  The  King  at  Hampton  Court  had 
great  liberty,  was  visited  by  his  children  often,  and 
without  restraint.  He  was  also  frequently  visited  by 
Cromwell,  and  by  his  old  friends  and  acquaintances. 
Hallam,1  in  referring  to  the  King's  surrender,  says : — 

To  carry  him  back  with  their  army  to  Scotland,  besides 
being  equally  ruinous  to  the  English  monarchy,  would 
have  exposed  the  Scots  to  the  most  serious  danger.  To 
undertake  his  defence  by  arms  against  England  as  the 
Royalists  desired,  would  have  been  a  mad  and  culpable 
renewal  of  the  miseries  of  both  kingdoms.  He  had 
voluntarily  come  to  their  camp  ;  no  faith  was  pledged  ; 
their  very  right  to  detain  his  person  seemed  open  to 
much  doubt  The  circumstance  which  has  always 
given  a  character  of  apparent  baseness  to  this  transaction 
is  the  payment  of  ^100,000  made  to  them  so  nearly  at 
the  same  time  that  it  has  passed  as  the  price  of  the 
King's  person.  This  sum  was  part  of  a  larger  demand, 
as  the  score  of  arrears  of  pay,  and  had  been  agreed  upon 
1  Constitutional  History. 


IReign  of  Cbarles  I.  1 29 

long  before  we  have  any  proof  or  reasonable  suspicion 
of  a  stipulation  to  deliver  up  the  King.  That  Parlia- 
ment would  never  have  actually  paid  this  sum  on  any 
other  consideration,  there  can  be  no  kind  of  doubt,  and 
of  this  the  Scots  must  have  been  fully  aware.  But 
whether  there  were  any  such  secret  bargain  as  has  been 
supposed,  or  whether  they  would  have  delivered  him  up 
if  there  had  been  no  pecuniary  expectation  in  the  case, 
is  what  I  cannot  perceive  sufficient  grounds  to  pronounce 
upon  with  confidence,  though  I  am  much  inclined  to 
believe  the  affirmative  of  the  latter  question. 

The  King  was  surrendered  on  the  condition  that  no 
harm  be  done  to  his  person,  and  that  his  posterity 
should  be  no  way  prejudiced  in  their  lawful  succession 
to  the  throne.  The  payment  of  a  large  sum  of  arrears 
due  to  the  Covenanting  party  by  the  English  taking 
place  at  nearly  the  same  moment,  exposed  the  Scots  to 
the  reproach  of  having  sold  their  King.1 

On  nth  November,  1647,  pretending  to  be  indis- 
posed, the  King  retired  at  an  early  hour  to  his  own 
chamber.  When  all  was  quiet,  accompanied  by 
Ashburnham  and  two  other  companions  in  disguise, 
he  passed  through  the  vaulted  passages  of  the  palace 
into  the  garden,  where  a  private  door  admitted  them  to 
the  river  where  a  boat  was  in  readiness  which  conveyed 
them  to  Thames  Ditton,  at  which  place  horses  awaited 
them.  Having  wandered  at  least  ten  miles  out  of  their 
proper  course,  it  was  daybreak  when  they  reached  the 
inn  at  Sutton.  From  that  place  they  went  to  Titchfield, 
a  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Southampton  ;  the  Countess 
Dowager  was  the  King's  personal  friend.  They  then 
resolved  to  go  to  the  Isle  of  Wight.  In  the  meantime 
the  inmates  at  Hampton  Court  were  astounded  when 
they  discovered  the  King's  flight.  Parties  of  horse 
and  foot  were  instantly  despatched  to  search  the 
neighbourhood,  when  information  arrived  that  the 
King  was  at  the  Isle  of  Wight.  By  some  fatal  mistake 
1  Lives  of  the  Lindsays. 

VOL.    II.  I 


130  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

Hammond,  the  governor  of  the  island  was  thought  a 
person  of  honour  and  generosity  enough  to  trust  the 
King's  person  to.  Before  allowing  the  King  to  cross 
over,  his  two  companions,  Ashburnham  and  Berkeley, 
went  over  to  discuss  the  situation  with  Hammond,  and 
told  him  the  King  was  willing  to  trust  himself  to  him 
provided,  if  occasion  required,  he  would  allow  the  King 
to  go  whither  he  thought  fit,  and  would  not  deliver  him 
to  Parliament  or  the  army.  Hammond  replied  that  he 
would  pay  all  the  respect  to  the  King  that  was  in  his 
power,  and  would  receive  and  entertain  him  as  well  as 
he  could,  but  that  he  was  an  inferior  officer,  and  must 
obey  his  superior.  On  further  debate  these  men  agreed 
to  conduct  Hammond  to  Titchfield,  where  the  King 
was.  A  more  foolish  step  could  not  have  been  con- 
ceived, or  one  more  fatal  to  the  prospects  of  the  King. 
When  the  King  knew  Hammond  had  arrived  he  said 
to  Ashburnham  :  "  Oh,  Jack,  thou  hast  undone  me." 
Ashburnham  offered  to  kill  Hammond,  but  the  King 
would  not  allow  him.  The  King  went  with  these  men 
very  reluctantly  to  the  Isle  of  Wight.  On  landing  there 
he  passed  the  first  night  at  Cowes,  but  next  day  was 
conducted  by  Hammond  to  Carisbrook  Castle.  A 
bowling-green  was  made  for  his  recreation,  a  recrea- 
tion he  much  enjoyed  ;  but  it  is  recorded  that  a  great 
portion  of  his  time  was  passed  in  studying  the  Bible. 
He  was  confined  some  months  in  Carisbrook  Castle, 
and  entertained  more  than  one  project  for  escape,  one 
of  which  nearly  effected  his  purpose. 

Cromwell  in  due  course  advised  the  House  of 
Commons.  Parliament  sent  a  message  to  the  King 
asking  his  assent  to  four  acts  of  Parliament.  By  one 
he  was  to  confess  the  war  to  have  been  raised  by  him 
against  Parliament,  and  so  that  he  was  guilty  of  all  the 
blood  that  had  been  spilt.  By  another  he  was  to 
totally  dissolve  the  government  of  the  Church  by 
bishops,  and  to  grant  all  the  lands  belonging  to  the 
Church  to  such  uses  as  they  proposed.  By  a  third  he 
was  to  grant  and  settle  militia  in  the  manner  and  on 


IRefgn  of  Cbarles  I.  131 

the  persons  proposed.  In  the  last  he  was  in  effect  to 
sacrifice  all  those  who  had  served  or  adhered  to  him 
to  the  mercy  of  Parliament  The  King  gave  the  com- 
missioners who  presented  the  bills  many  unanswerable 
reasons  why  he  could  not  assent  to  the  four  bills,  which 
not  only  divested  him  of  all  sovereignty,  and  left  him 
without  any  possibility  of  recovering  it  by  himself  or 
his  successors,  but  opened  a  door  for  intolerable 
oppression  of  his  subjects  by  granting  arbitrary  and 
unlimited  power  to  both  Houses.  Neither  the  desire 
of  being  freed  from  the  tedious  and  irksome  condition 
of  life  he  had  long  suffered,  nor  the  apprehension  of 
anything  that  might  befall  him,  should  prevail  with 
him  to  consent  to  any  one  act  until  the  conditions  of 
peace  should  be  concluded  between  them.  The  com- 
missioners then  left  him.  The  effect  of  the  King's 
answer  was  that  Hammond  dismissed  his  servants,  and 
put  a  strong  guard  to  restrain  anyone  from  approaching 
the  King  without  authority.  This  in  plain  terms  was 
making  the  King  a  prisoner,  which  was  keenly  resented 
by  the  Islanders,  and  Captain  Burly,  a  native,  put  him- 
self at  their  head  and  determined  to  rescue  the  King 
by  force.  He  caused  a  drum  to  be  beaten,  and  the 
mob  cried  :  "  For  God,  the  King  and  the  people."  At 
the  instigation  of  the  King's  servants  it  was  stopped, 
and  the  people  returned  to  their  homes.  Burly,  how- 
ever, was  arrested  by  Hammond,  found  guilty  of 
treason,  and  executed. 

Parliament  resolved,  on  the  motion  of  Cromwell,  that 
they  might  enter  on  those  councils  which  were  necessary 
for  the  settlement  of  the  kingdom  without  further 
recourse  to  the  King.  A  proclamation  to  that  effect 
was  made  to  the  people.  The  next  event  was  a  meeting 
of  the  general  officers  of  the  army  at  Windsor — 
Cromwell  presiding — to  consult  what  should  be  done 
with  the  King.  It  was  resolved  that  the  King  should 
be  prosecuted  as  a  traitor,  and  one  of  the  officers  was 
told  off  to  advise  the  King.  The  Scottish  Parliament 
took  a  very  different  view  of  the  situation,  disapproved 


132  1Ro\>al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

of  the  treatment  of  the  King-,  and  expressed  their 
determination  to  protect  and  restore  him  by  force  of 
arms.  They  also  demanded  the  English  Parliament  to 
pay  up  the  debt  of  .£200,000  due  to  the  Scots  for  the 
surrender  of  the  King,  and  at  Carisbrook  Castle  on  26th 
December,  1647,  the  Scots  Commissoners — Loudoun, 
Lanark  and  Lauderdale — had  a  conference  with  the 
King,  and  got  him  to  sign,  along  with  them,  an  agreement 
of  which  the  following  is  the  substance.  It  was  a  direct 
negative  to  the  resolution  of  Cromwell : — "  Forasmuch 
as  His  Majesty  is  willing  to  give  satisfaction  concerning 
the  settling  of  religion  and  other  matters,  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland  doth  oblige  and  engage  itself  to  endeavour 
that  the  King  may  come  to  London  in  safety,  honour 
and  freedom,  for  a  personal  treaty  with  the  Houses  of 
Parliament,  and  the  Commissioners  of  Scotland,  on 
such  propositions  as  should  be  mutually  agreed  to 
between  the  kingdoms,  and  such  propositions  as  the 
King  should  think  fit  to  make.  For  this  end  armies 
should  be  disbanded.  In  case  this  should  not  be 
granted,  declarations  should  be  emitted  by  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland  against  the  unjust  proceedings  of  Parliament 
towards  the  King ;  in  which  they  would  assert  the 
right  that  belongs  to  the  Crown  in  the  power  of  the 
militia,  the  Great  Seal,  bestowing  of  honours  and  offices 
of  trust,  choice  of  the  Privy  Councillors,  and  the  right  of 
the  King's  negative  voice  in  Parliament ;  and  that  the 
Queen,  the  Prince  and  rest  of  the  Royal  family,  ought 
to  remain  where  the  King  should  think  fit,  in  either 
kingdom  with  safety,  honour  and  freedom.  On  the 
issue  of  this  declaration  an  army  should  be  sent  out 
of  Scotland  into  England  for  the  preservation  and 
establishment  of  religion,  for  defence  of  the  King's 
person  and  authority,  and  restoring  him  to  his 
government  and  the  just  rights  of  the  crown  ;'for  the 
defence  of  the  just  privileges  of  Parliament  and  liberty 
of  the  subject  ;  for  making  a  firm  union  between  the 
kingdoms  under  the  King  and  his  posterity,  and  settling 
a  lasting  peace.  Those  in  England  or  Ireland  who 


of  Gbarles  I.  133 

would  join  Scotland  in  this  matter  should  be  protected 
by  the  King  in  their  persons  and  estates.  .  .  .  The 
King  to  make  no  agreement  or  treaty  whatever  without 
the  consent  of  Scotland.  .  .  ." 

The  Scottish  Parliament  got  no  satisfaction  from 
England  for  this  discreet  and  well-considered  proposal, 
but  rather  it  might  be  said  they  were  treated  by 
Cromwell's  Parliament  in  a  contemptuous  manner. 
They  accordingly  adopted  prompt  measures,  and  at  a 
meeting  on  2nd  March,  1648,  determined  on  war,  and 
appointed  a  committee  to  watch  over  the  safety  of  the 
kingdom.  Out  of  fifty  nobles  only  nine  or  ten  were  for 
the  Covenant,  of  barons  one-half,  while  commoners  of 
large  towns  went  with  Hamilton.  Resolutions  were 
agreed  to  enumerating  the  breaches  of  the  Covenant  of 
which  England  had  been  guilty,  the  various  wrongs  done 
to  Scotland,  and  violation  of  the  treaty,  and  the  slights 
shown  to  Scottish  Commissioners.  A  declaration  was 
drawn  up  embracing  the  substance  of  these  resolutions, 
regretting  the  violation  of  the  Covenant,  and  expressing 
a  determination  to  enter  into  no  alliance  with  those  who 
should  refuse  to  subscribe  the  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant ;  and  not  to  make  any  agreement  with  the 
King  until  he  should  solemnly  swear  to  give  his  assent 
to  such  acts  as  Parliament  should  prescribe  in  favour  of 
the  Covenant  and  the  Presbyterian  form  of  worship. 
In  spite  of  these  protestations,  which  were  manifestly 
insincere,1  the  Covenanters  resolutely  opposed  the  war 
with  England.  On  nth  April  they  sent  what  was 
virtually  an  ultimatum  to  the  English  Parliament,  in 
which  they  demanded  the  liberation  of  the  King,  the 
disbanding  of  the  army,  and  the  establishment  of 
Presbyterianism  in  accordance  with  the  Solemn  League 
and  Covenant. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  feeling  ran  so  high  that  no 
arrangement  of  any  kind  could  be  come  to.  In  this 
state  of  matters  war  was  inevitable,  and  on  i/th  August, 
1648,  the  Scottish  forces  took  the  field  under  James 

1  Taylor. 


134  Ifto^al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


first  Duke  of  Hamilton,  an  ill-equipped  and  badly 
disciplined  army  of  15,000  men,  and  entered  England 
by  the  west  border.  The  English  Royalists  were  not 
permitted  to  join  the  Scots.  It  is  said  that  Hamilton 
was  incapable  of  commanding  this  enterprise  ;  and  at 
a  critical  time  he  loitered  away  forty  days  travelling 
eighty  miles.  His  forces,  instead  of  being  concentrated, 
were  scattered  over  many  miles,  and  when  the  main 
body  reached  the  banks  of  the  Kibble,  near  Preston, 
Munrowith  Hamilton's  Irish  contingent  lay  thirty  miles 
off,  at  Kirby  in  Westmoreland.  After  an  obstinate 
resistance  against  overpowering  odds,  Sir  Marmaduke 
Langdale  was  obliged  to  fall  back  on  Preston.  At  the 
entrance  to  the  town  he  was  joined  by  Hamilton  with  a 
few  horse,  but  in  such  disorder  as  to  add  to  the  confusion 
of  the  retreat.  The  fight  was  renewed  in  the  streets  and 
continued  to  the  bridge,  where  a  determined  stand  was 
made  by  the  Royalists,  "  but  at  length,"  says  Cromwell 
in  his  despatch,  "  they  were  beaten  from  the  bridge,  and 
our  horse  and  foot  following  them,  killed  many  and  took 
divers  prisoners."  In  the  course  of  the  night  Hamilton 
hastily  retreated,  the  whole  army  being  in  a  state  of 
disorder  and  dismay,  leaving  behind  their  artillery  and 
baggage.  At  Warrington  the  foot  under  General 
Baillie  surrendered  to  Cromwell  on  condition  that  their 
lives  were  spared,  Hamilton,  with  his  officers  and  3,000 
cavalry,  fled  to  (Jttoxeter  where  he  was  intercepted  by 
Lambert  and  compelled  to  surrender. 

One  of  the  most  devoted  and  loyal  friends  of  the 
King  was  John  Stewart,  first  Earl  of  Traquair,  and  a 
direct  descendant  of  the  Black  Knight  of  Lorn.  He 
was  created  a  peer  at  Charles's  coronation  in  Edinburgh, 
and  in  1635  was  appointed  Lord  High  Treasurer  of 
Scotland.  In  1639  he  was  the  King's  High  Com- 
missioner at  both  the  Parliament  and  the  General 
Assembly.  It  is  said  that  in  his  high  station  he 
asserted  the  King's  prerogative  with  great  firmness  and 
intrepidity,  and  made  enemies  to  himself.  He  was 
impeached  for  treason  in  1641,  but  was  pardoned  by 


TReion  of  Cbarles  I.  135 

the  King,  though  he  lost  his  estates.  The  King's  faith 
in  him  was  unbounded,  and  on  the  occasion  of  his 
pardon  the  King  wrote  him : — 

Traquair,  I  have  thought  fit  by  these  few  lines  to 
assure  you  that  I  am  so  far  from  having  chased  you 
away  as  a  delinquent  that  I  esteem  you  to  be  as  faithful 
a  servant  as  any  I  have,  believing  that  the  greatest 
cause  of  malice  that  you  are  vexed  with  is  for  having 
served  me  as  you  ought ;  therefore  I  desire  you  to 
be  confident  that  I  shall  both  find  a  fit  time  for  you 
to  wipe  away  all  these  slanders  that  are  now  against 
you,  and  likewise  to  recompense  your  by-past  sufferings 
for  my  service ;  so  you  shall  truly  see  that  I  am  your 
assured  friend,  CHARLES  R. 

He  was  with  the  King  in  Oxford  in  1644,  and  after- 
wards at  his  own  expense  he  raised  an  army  in  Scotland 
to  defend  the  King,  and  fought  at  the  battle  of  Preston 
in  1648,  when  he  was  defeated  and  taken  prisoner,  and 
for  four  years  confined  in  Warwick  Castle,  but  was 
thereafter  liberated  by  Cromwell.  His  family  possess 
many  specimens  of  Charles's  letters,  of  which  we  may 
give  the  following : — 

YORK,  jth  May,  1643. 

Traquair,  I  am  so  confident  in  your  affection  to  my 
service  that  I  have  commanded  the  bearer  to  follow 
your  directions  in  all  he  is  sent  about ;  and  you  have 
not  hitherto  deceived  my  expectation ;  the  conjunction 
is  considerable  in  the  business ;  therefore  what  is  to  be 
done  must  either  be  now  or  not  at  all. — Your  assured 
friend,  CHARLES  R. 

NEWCASTLE,  itfkjune,  1646. 

Traquair,  I  have  so  fully  instructed  this  trusty  bearer, 
Robert  Car,  that  I  will  only  tell  you  that  I  long  to  sae 
you,  which,  if  I  had  publicly  expressed  it,  might  have 
hindered  what  I  desire. — Your  most  assured  constant 
friend,  CHARLES  R. 


136  IRopal  ffocwse  of  Stuart 

When  the  news  of  this  disaster  reached  Scotland  the 
leaders  of  the  Covenanters  resolved  to  take  advantage 
of  it  to  eject  the  Committee  of  Estates  from  the  Govern- 
ment. Argyll  and  the  Covenanting  nobles  placed  their 
forces  under  Leslie,  and  made  application  to  Cromwell 
for  assistance,  which  he  gave  them.  After  the  battle  of 
Preston  Cromwell  continued  his  march  into  Scotland, 
and  on  5th  October  appeared  in  Edinburgh,  and  had  a 
friendly  supper  with  Argyll  and  Johnston  of  Warriston 
in  Moray  House  in  the  Canongate.  In  his  absence  the 
Common  Council  delivered  a  petition  to  Parliament  that 
"  they  would  entertain  a  personal  treaty  with  the  King 
that  the  kingdom  might  be  restored  again  to  a  happy 
peace."  Parliament  was  not  disposed  to  refuse  this 
request,  as  it  came  with  the  unanimous  voice  of  the 
council.  They  appointed  a  committee  to  meet  with 
the  Common  Council  to  confer  as  to  the  ways  and 
means  of  providing  for  the  King's  safety  during  the 
time  of  the  treaty.  Parliament  eventually  declared 
that  they  would  enter  into  a  treaty  with  the  King, 
and  commissioners,  to  ascertain  his  opinion,  were  sent 
from  both  Houses  to  Carisbrook  Castle,  where  he  had 
been  a  prisoner  for  six  months.  The  King  received 
them  very  graciously,  pointed  out  the  privations  he 
had  endured,  and  cheerfully  accepted  the  terms  of  the 
proposal  of  Parliament  which  he  hoped  they  did  really 
intend  should  be  performed.  He  desired  them  first  to 
revoke  their  votes  and  orders,  by  which  all  men  were 
prohibited  from  writing  or  speaking  to  him.  Parliament 
agreed  to  the  King's  request,  and  declared  that  the  vote 
for  no  more  addresses  should  be  repealed,  that  the 
treaty  should  be  at  Newport,  and  that  the  King  should 
be  there  in  the  same  freedom  as  he  was  at  Hampton 
Court ;  that  the  instructions  to  Hammond  restraining 
the  King  and  forbidding  all  persons  from  speaking  to 
him  should  be  recalled,  that  these  persons  named  by 
the  King  should  have  free  access  to  him,  and  remain 
without  being  questioned.  Parliament  nominated  five 
Lords  and  ten  Commoners  to  treat  with  the  King  with 


ot  Cbarles  I.  137 

all  expedition.  These  commissioners  lost  no  time,  and 
arrived  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  on  I5th  September.  No 
one  was  permitted  to  be  present  but  the  King  and 
commissioners.  At  last  they  were  contented,  and  the 
King  was  obliged  to  be  contented  too,  "  that  they 
might  stand  behind  a  curtain  and  hear  all  that  was 
said,  and  when  the  King  wanted  advice,  he  would 
retire  to  his  chamber  and  call  those  to  him  with  whom 
he  would  advise."  The  King's  hair  had  turned  grey 
with  his  six  months'  captivity.  During  this  conference 
Cromwell  and  the  army  were  in  Scotland,  and  Parlia- 
ment desired  the  treaty  to  be  carried  through  before 
his  return.  In  spite  of  the  representations  of  the 
commissioners,  the  King  protracted  the  conference  for 
more  than  two  months.  The  commissioners  presented 
their  first  proposition  that  "the  King  would  revoke  all 
declarations  and  commissions  granted  heretofore  by 
him  against  Parliament."  The  King  passed  this.  The 
second  proposition,  "  the  abolition  of  Episcopacy  and 
all  jurisdiction  exercised  by  bishops ;  the  Covenant 
which  was  presented  to  His  Majesty  to  take  himself, 
and  to  impose  it  on  all  others  ;  the  abolition  of  the 
common  Prayer-book  and  liturgy  ;  the  reformation  of 
religion  should  be  settled  by  Parliament."  The  King 
agreed  to  suspend  Episcopacy  for  three  years  ;  he 
would  not  force  any  man  to  take  the  Covenant,  but 
would  use  the  Prayer-book  in  his  own  chapel  ;  those 
who  desired  might  have  liberty  to  take  the  Covenant 
and  use  the  Directory.  The  third  proposition  regarding 
the  militia  was  agreed  to,  as  was  also  the  fourth  con- 
cerning Ireland.  The  King  proposed  to  Parliament 
that  he  should  have  his  liberty,  his  revenue,  and  an 
act  of  oblivion  for  the  commissioners,  but  Parliament 
gave  him  no  answer.  The  King,  conceiving  the  treaty 
to  be  closed,  desired  the  commissioners  to  use  the  same 
eloquence  and  abilities  by  which  they  had  prevailed 
with  him  in  representing  to  Parliament  the  sad  condition 
of  the  kingdom  if  it  were  not  preserved  by  this  treaty. 
Next  morning  they  informed  him  that  the  treaty  by 


138  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

order  of  Parliament  was  extended  fourteen  days.  The 
conference  eventually  closed  its  proceedings  on  25th 
November,  which  indicates  what  protracted  debates 
must  have  been  going  on  to  occupy  so  much  time. 
The  King  must  not  be  blamed  for  the  result  of  this 
conference,  as  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  was  simply  bullied 
into  acquiescence.  On  the  last  day  of  the  sittings, 
being  pressed,  he  agreed  to  suspend  the  Episcopal 
power  as  well  in  point  of  ordination  of  ministers  as 
of  jurisdiction,  till  he  and  the  two  Houses  should  agree 
what  Government  should  be  established  for  the  future. 

It  is  stated  by  some  writers  that  the  commissioners 
were  still  in  conference  with  the  King  when  Cromwell's 
messengers  interrupted  the  proceedings  to  tell  him  he 
must  remove.  The  charge  surprised  him  not  so  much 
as  it  did  the  commissioners.  The  King  heard  the 
message  with  such  resolution  as  moved  their  com- 
passion, and  more  especially  when  taking  his  leave  of 
them  he  said  : — "  I  believe  we  shall  see  one  another  no 
more  ;  God's  will  be  done  ;  I  have  made  my  peace  with 
Him,  and  accept  all  that  man  can  do  to  me  with 
resignation  ;  you  now  see  you  are  involved  in  my 
ruin  ;  I  wish  you  better  friends  than  I  have  found.  I 
am  no  stranger  to  what  is  practised  against  me  and 
mine  ;  but  all  that  troubles  me  not  so  much  as  the 
evils  that  threaten  my  people  through  the  unbounded 
ambition  of  those  who  seek  to  raise  themselves  under 
colour  of  the  public  good." 

It  would  appear  that  three  of  the  King's  attendants 
prevailed  upon  him  to  try  and  make  his  escape.  The 
scheme,  though  very  ingenious,  failed  for  want  of 
secrecy.  The  men  were  arrested  and  tried,  and, 
wonderful  to  relate,  got  off  for  want  of  proof. 
Hammond  at  the  same  time  desired  to  be  relieved 
of  his  office  of  keeper  of  the  King's  person.  Cromwell 
released  him,  and  sent  one  of  his  officers,  Colonel 
Eure,  to  succeed  him.  This  officer,  by  Cromwell's 
orders,  removed  the  King  on  ist  December  to  Hurst 
Castle,  on  the  mainland.  This  was  a  stronghold 


of  Cbarles  I.  139 

built  in  1535  by  Henry  VIII.  for  the  defence  of  the 
Solent.1  At  this  audacious  proceeding  Parliament  and 
Cromwell  quarrelled.  Parliament  protested  against  the 
seizure  of  the  King  without  their  authority,  and  sent 
a  despatch  to  Cromwell  that  the  order  and  instructions 
to  Colonel  Eure  were  contrary  to  their  resolution  and 
instructions  to  Hammond,  and  therefore  it  was  the 
pleasure  of  the  House  that  he  should  recall  these 
orders  and  replace  Hammond.  Cromwell  behaved 
disrespectfully,  and  without  taking  notice  of  this 
communication  he  ordered  Parliament  to  proceed  no 
further  with  the  treaty ;  demanded  payment  of  the 
arrears  due  to  the  army ;  unless  instantly  sent,  he 
should  be  forced  to  remove  the  army  and  draw  nearer 
London.  Thereupon  the  army  marched  to  Whitehall. 
The  House  of  Commons  showed  their  courage.  In 
spite  of  Cromwell  and  his  extraordinary  proceedings, 
they  asserted  the  treaty  ;  that  the  King's  answers  were 
satisfactory ;  and  after  a  violent  debate  of  three  days, 
voted  140  against  104  that  the  House  ought  to  accept 
the  concessions  of  the  King,  and  proceed  to  the  settle- 
ment of  peace.  Next  morning,  6th  December,  Colonel 
Pryde,  on  behalf  of  Cromwell,  at  the  head  of  two 
regiments  of  soldiers,  surrounded  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  arrested  and  placed  in  confinement 
41  members  of  the  Presbyterian  party.  Above  100 
more  were  excluded  in  the  two  following  days,  and 
the  number  of  members  was  reduced  to  about  50.* 
These  members  who  usurped  the  name  of  Parliament 
bore  the  appellation  of  "the  Rump."  The  Commons, 
thus  purged,  repealed  the  late  resolutions,  declared  the 

\  Nothing  could  be  more  dismal  than  Hurst  Castle.  This 
lonesome  spot,  jutting  out  into  the  ocean  and  severed  from  all 
concern  with  human  life,  seemed  a  suitable  scene  for  some 
murder  such  as  the  King  had  received  intelligence  was  medi- 
tating against  him.  The  room,  or  rather  den,  in  which  he  was 
immured  was  so  dark  that  candles  were  needed  at  noonday. 
—(Strickland.) 

2  This  was  the  famous  extinction  of  the  Long  Parliament, 
sometimes  nicknamed  "  Pryde's  Purge." 


140  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


King's  concession  unsatisfactory,  confirmed  the  vote 
against  more  addresses,  and  resolved  that  by  the  laws 
of  the  realm  it  is  treason  in  the  sovereign  to  levy  war 
against  the  Parliament  and  kingdom  of  England. 

Those  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  who 
were  in  ward  were  afterwards  led  in  triumph  through 
Westminster  Hall  by  a  strong  guard  to  that  place 
under  the  Exchequer,  at  that  period  called  "  Hell," 
where  they  might  eat  and  drink,  at  their  own  charge, 
what  they  pleased.  Here  they  were  kept  till  midnight, 
after  which  they  were  taken  to  several  inns,  where  they 
were  lodged  as  prisoners  for  two  or  three  days.  After- 
wards there  was  an  order  of  the  House  that  none  of 
them  who  had  not  been  present  that  day  when  the 
negative  vote  was  taken  should  sit  any  more  in  the 
House  until  they  had  subscribed  the  same  vote.  Many 
of  them,  from  indignation,  did  not  enter  the  House  for 
years,  some  not  before  the  Revolution,  and  others 
sooner  or  later  returned  to  their  old  seats.  Then  the 
House  renewed  their  old  votes  of  no  more  addresses 
and  cancelled  those  who  introduced  the  treaty,  while 
the  most  active  Presbyterians  in  the  House  were 
committed  to  prison.  Cromwell,  having  now  a  clear 
majority  in  the  House  after  the  forcible  exclusion  of 
these  members,  considered  the  time  had  arrived  for 
establishing  a  new  Government.  He  therefore  resolved 
to  terminate  this  Parliament  on  3<Dth  April,  1649  ;  also, 
that  there  should  be  a  representation  of  the  nation  of 
300  persons  chosen  by  the  people,  of  which,  for  the 
term  of  seven  years,  no  person  who  adhered  to  the 
King  or  should  oppose  this  scheme  should  be  capable 
of  being  chosen  ;  and  before  the  dissolution  of  the 
present  Parliament,  it  would  be  necessary  to  bring 
delinquents  to  exemplary  punishment,  beginning  with 
the  King,  who  had  caused  all  the  miseries  which  had 
befallen  the  kingdom,  and  whom  they  had  already 
divested  of  all  power  to  govern  them  in  future.  It 
was  fit  that  such  a  man  of  blood  should  be  brought 
to  justice,  that  he  might  undergo  the  penalty  that  was 


1Rd0n  ot  Cbarles  I.  141 

due  to  his  tyranny  and  murders,  that,  being  in  their 
power,  he  might  not  escape  the  punishment  that  was 
due  to  him.  These  were  Cromwell's  sentiments.  The 
state  of  matters  created  profound  amazement.  The 
Queen  wrote  from  France  for  permission  to  come 
over  and  stay  with  her  husband,  but  Cromwell  gave 
her  no  answer.  He  instructed  a  committee  of  his  own 
choosing  to  draw  up  an  impeachment  of  high  treason 
against  the  King.  This  was  read  to  the  Commons, 
who  were  all  Cromwell's  supporters,  and  approved. 
It  was  then  sent  to  the  Peers,  but  not  one  person 
in  that  House  approved  of  it.  They  unanimously 
rejected  it  and  adjourned  for  a  week.  When  the 
week's  adjournment  was  up,  the  Lords  found  the 
doors  locked  and  fastened  with  padlocks.  Nor  did 
any  of  them  thereafter  sit  in  that  House  above  twice 
or  thrice.  The  King  was  now  transferred,  by  Crom- 
well's orders,  from  Hurst  Castle  to  Windsor,  thence 
to  St.  James's.  When  he  left  Windsor  he  was 
conducted  through  a  double  line  of  soldiers  to  the 
round  tower,  where  his  carriage  was  in  waiting  to 
receive  him  and  take  him  to  St.  James's ;  he  was 
strictly  guarded.  On  pth  January,  1649,  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  citizens  of  London,  a  sergeant- 
at-arms  rode  into  Westminster  Hall,  and  with  the 
sound  of  drum  and  trumpets  solemnly  announced  the 
forthcoming  trial  of  the  King. 

Cromwell  brought  an  ordinance  into  the  House  of 
Commons  nominating  certain  persons  for  the  King's 
trial,  which  being  tendered  to  the  House  of  Lords,  was 
refused.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Commons,  on  4th 
January,  1649,  proceeded  without  the  Lords,  and  chose 
commissioners.  As  no  court  recognised  by  law  would 
take  upon  itself  the  responsibility  of  judging  the  King, 
it  was  necessary  to  create  a  special  tribunal ;  and  a 
high  court  of  justice  was  therefore  constituted,  consisting 
of  133  persons,  which  included  the  officers  of  the  army, 
four  peers,  the  Speaker  and  the  other  members  of  the 
"  Rump  "  Parliament.  Bradshaw,  a  lawyer  of  Gray's 


142  1Ro\?al  ibouse  of  Stuart 

Inn,  was  appointed  President,  and  was  paid  ^4,000  to 
enable  him  to  support  his  dignity  and  equipage  on  the 
occasion.  He  also  had  the  temporary  use  of  the  Dean's 
house  in  Westminster  to  secure  his  safety.  Seventy- 
one  commissioners  was  the  largest  number  who  ever 
assembled  ;  forty-eight  only  were  present  when  sentence 
was  announced  ;  and  the  warrant  for  his  execution  was 
signed  by  fifty-nine.  The  twelve  judges  unanimously 
refused  to  sit  on  the  tribunal,  as  being  contrary  to  every 
principle  of  English  law.  The  trial  took  place  in 
Westminster  Hall  on  2Oth  January,  1649.  Sixty  of  the 
commissioners  only  answered  to  their  names.  When 
the  name  of  Fairfax  was  called  out,  a  voice  in  the 
gallery  answered :  "  Not  such  a  fool  as  to  come  here 
to-day."  At  a  subsequent  stage  of  the  proceedings, 
when  the  charge  against  the  King  was  stated  to  be  in 
the  name  of  the  people  of  England,  the  same  voice 
exclaimed :  "  Not  one  half-quarter  of  them  ;  it  is  false  ; 
where  are  they?  Oliver  Cromwell  is  a  rogue  and  a 
traitor."  Some  writers  give  a  different  version  of  this, 
viz.  :  "  It  is  a  lie  ;  scarce  the  tenth  part  of  the  people 
of  England  have  any  hand  in  this  crime,  which  is 
brought  about  by  the  contrivance  of  the  traitor  Cromwell, 
who  is  there."  It  was  discovered  that  these  exclamations 
proceeded  from  Lady  Fairfax,  wife  of  the  general  of 
Cromwell's  forces,  who,  from  among  a  group  of  masked 
ladies,  in  this  manner  declared  her  resentment  at  the 
conduct  of  the  King's  enemies.  Axtel,  Cromwell's 
lieutenant,  immediately  shouted  to  his  soldiers  :  "  Fire  ! 
Fire  into  the  box  where  she  sits."  Amid  a  dead 
silence  a  lady  rose  and  quitted  the  gallery,  and  the 
matter  dropped.  The  King,  who  appeared  for  trial,  was 
informed  by  the  court  that  the  Commons  of  England 
assembled  in  Parliament  were  sensible  of  the  great 
calamities  brought  upon  the  nation,  and  of  the  innocent 
bloodshed,  which  was  referred  to  him  as  the  author  01 
it.  According  to  that  duty  which  they  owe  to  God, 
the  nation  and  themselves,  and  that  power  and  trust 
reposed  in  them  by  the  people,  have  constituted  this 


of  Gbarles  I.  us 

court  of  justice,  before  which  he  was  now  brought,  and 
that  he  was  to  hear  his  charge,  on  which  the  court 
would  proceed  according  to  justice.  The  King  was 
charged  with  having  been  the  cause  of  all  the  blood 
that  had  been  shed  since  the  commencement  of  the 
war ;  of  the  divisions  among  the  people  ;  waste  of 
the  public  treasury ;  a  design  to  erect  a  tyrannical 
Government,  and  overthrow  the  liberties  of  the 
people.  They  therefore  impeached  him  as  a  tyrant, 
traitor,  murderer,  and  an  enemy  to  the  Commonwealth. 
The  impeachment  being  read,  Bradshaw  desired  him  to 
answer.  The  King  said  he  would  first  know  of  them 
by  what  authority  they  presumed  by  force  to  bring 
him  before  them,  and  who  gave  them  power  to  judge 
of  his  actions,  for  which  he  was  accountable  only  to 
God.  He  would  not  so  much  as  betray  himself  and 
his  Royal  dignity  as  to  answer  anything  that  they  would 
say  against  him,  which  were  to  acknowledge  their 
authority,  though  he  believed  that  everyone  of  them 
in  their  consciences  absolved  him  from  all  that  was 
said  against  him.  He  declined  to  recognise  the  authority 
of  the  court ;  he  saw  no  appearance  of  the  Upper  House, 
which  was  necessary  to  constitute  a  just  Parliament ; 
even  both  Houses,  though  free  and  united,  were  not 
entitled  to  try  him ;  he  was  their  hereditary  King,  and 
derived  his  authority  from  God.  He  was  himself  the 
fountain  of  law,  and  could  not  be  tried  by  laws  to  which 
he  had  never  given  his  assent ;  having  been  entrusted 
with  the  liberties  of  the  people,  he  would  not  now 
betray  them  by  recognising  a  power  founded  upon 
usurpation.  He  was  three  times  produced  before  the 
court,  and  as  often  declined  its  jurisdiction.  On  the 
morning  of  the  last  day  of  the  trial,  Bradshaw's  wife 
rushed  into  his  (Bradshaw's)  private  chamber  at 
Westminster,  where  he  had  been  lodged  for  safety  and 
convenience,  and  solemnly  beseeched  him  by  his  hopes 
of  happiness  here  and  hereafter  to  absent  himself  in 
future  from  Westminster  Hall :  "  Do  not,"  she  said, 
"  sentence  this  earthly  King  for  fear  of  the  dreadful 


144  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


sentence  of  the  King  of  heaven.  You  have  no  child  ;  why 
should  you  do  such  a  monstrous  act  to  favour  others  ?  " 
Bradshaw  :  "  I  confess  he  hath  done  me  no  harm,  nor 
will  I  do  him  any  except  what  the  law  commands." 
The  King  was  not  allowed  to  answer  to  the  indictment. 
The  trial  lasted  seven  days,  when  sentence  of  death  was 
delivered  by  Bradshaw,  in  the  following  terms  :  — 

Sir,  you  speak  very  well  of  a  precious  thing  which 
you  call  peace.  It  was  much  wished  that  God  had  put 
it  into  your  heart  that  you  had  really  effectually 
endeavoured  and  studied  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  as 
now  in  words  you  seem  to  pretend  ;  yet  your  actions 
have  been  quite  contrary.  You  have  gone  upon  very 
erroneous  principles;  the  kingdom  hath  felt  it;  and  it 
will  be  no  ease  to  you  to  think  of  it,  for  you  have  held 
yourself,  and  let  fall  such  language,  as  if  you  had  in  no 
way  been  subject  to  the  law  ;  or  that  the  law  had  not 
been  your  superior.  The  law  is  your  superior,  and  you 
ought  to  have  ruled  according  to  law.  Your  pretence 
has  been  that  you  have  done  so  ;  but  the  question  has 
been,  who  shall  be  the  expounders  of  the  law  ?  Whether 
you  and  your  party  outside  the  courts  of  justice  shall 
expound  it,  or  the  courts  of  justice  who  are  the 
expounders.  The  sovereign,  the  High  Court  of  Justice, 
the  Parliament  of  England,  are  not  only  the  highest 
expounders,  they  are  the  makers  of  the  law.  Do  you 
set  yourself  and  those  who  adhere  to  you  against  the 
highest  court  of  justice  ?  That  is  not  law.  As  the  law 
is  your  superior,  so  there  is  something  superior  to  the 
law,  and  that  is  the  authors  of  the  law,  the  people  of 
England.  .  .  .  The  King  is  but  an  officer  in  trust,  and 
he  ought  faithfully  to  discharge  that  trust.  Parliaments 
were  ordained  to  redress  the  grievances  of  the  people  ; 
that  was  their  main  end.  If  so  be  that  the  kings  of 
England  had  been  rightfully  mindful  of  themselves 
they  were  never  more  in  majesty  and  state  than  in 
the  Parliament.  Parliaments  were  to  be  held  in  old 
times  twice  a  year,  but  in  the  days  of  your  predecessor, 


of  Cbarles  I.  145 

Edward  III.,  they  were  altered  to  once  a  year.  What 
the  interval  of  Parliaments  hath  been  in  your  time  is 
very  well  known,  as  also  the  sad  consequences  of  it ; 
and  what  in  the  interval,  instead  of  these  Parliaments, 
hath  been  by  you  by  a  high  and  arbitrary  hand  intro- 
duced upon  the  people.  But  when  God  by  His  pro- 
vidence had  so  far  brought  it  about  that  you  could  no 
longer  decline  the  calling  of  a  Parliament ;  yet  it  will 
appear  what  your  intentions  were  against  your  native 
kingdom  of  Scotland  ;  the  Parliaments  of  England  not 
serving  your  purposes  against  them,  you  were  pleased 
to  dissolve  it.  Another  great  necessity  occasioned  the 
calling  of  this  Parliament,  and  what  your  designs  and 
plots  have  all  along  been  for  the  crushing  and  con- 
founding of  this  Parliament  hath  been  notorious  to  the 
whole  kingdom.  And  truly,  sir,  in  that  you  did  strike 
at  all,  that  had  been  a  sure  way  to  have  brought  about 
what  this  charge  lays  upon  you,  your  intention  to 
subvert  the  Parliamentary  laws  of  the  realm,  the  great 
bulwark  of  the  liberties  of  the  people  in  the  Parliament 
of  England,  and  to  subvert  and  root  up  that  which 
it  was  your  intention  to  do,  had  confounded  at  one 
blow  the  liberties  and  property  of  England.  We  read 
of  a  great  Roman  tyrant,  Caligula,  who  wished  that 
the  people  of  Rome  had  one  neck  that  at  one  blow  he 
might  cut  it  off.  Your  proceedings  have  been  some- 
what like  his ;  for  the  body  of  the  people  of  England 
hath  been  represented  but  in  Parliament,  and  could  you 
but  have  confounded  that,  you  had  at  one  blow  cut  off 
the  neck  of  England.  But  God  hath  reserved  better 
things  for  us,  hath  confounded  your  designs,  broken 
your  forces,  and  brought  your  person  into  custody,  that 
you  might  be  responsible  to  justice.  .  .  .  There  is  a 
contract  made  between  the  King  and  people  and  your 
oath  is  taken,  and  certainly  the  bond  is  reciprocal,  for 
as  you  are  the  liege  Lord,  so  are  they  the  liege  subjects. 
The  one  bond  is  the  bond  of  protection  that  is  due 
from  the  sovereign,  the  other  is  the  bond  of  subjection 
which  is  due  from  the  subject.  If  this  bond  be  once 

VOL.    II,  K 


146  IRogal  tfoouse  of  Stuart 


broken,  farewell  sovereignty.  These  things  may  not 
be  denied,  sir.  I  pray  God  it  may  work  upon 
your  heart  that  you  may  be  sensible  of  your  mis- 
givings. Whether  you  have  been  as  by  your  office 
you  ought  to  be,  a  protector  of  England,  or  the 
destroyer  of  England,  let  all  England  judge,  or  all 
the  world  that  hath  looked  upon  it.  Though  you  were 
King  by  inheritance,  yet  it  must  not  be  denied  that 
your  office  was  an  office  of  trust,  and  an  office  of  the 
highest  trust,  reposed  in  any  single  person.  You  were 
the  grand  administrator  of  Justice,  and  others  were 
your  delegates  to  see  it  done  throughout  the  realm, 
your  greatest  offices  were  to  do  justice  and  preserve 
your  people  from  wrong  ;  instead  of  doing  that  you 
were  the  great  wrongdoer  yourself;  if  instead  of  being 
a  conservator  of  the  peace  you  are  the  grand  dis- 
turber of  the  peace  ;  surely  this  is  contrary  to  your 
high  office  and  trust.  If  your  office  be  one  of 
inheritance,  as  you  say,  let  all  men  know  that  great 
offices  are  seizable  and  forfeitable,  as  if  you  had  it  but 
for  a  year,  or  for  your  life.  Sir,  it  will  concern  you  to 
take  into  your  serious  consideration  your  great  mis- 
demeanours. I  shall  not  particularise  them.  It  had 
been  happy  for  the  kingdom  and  happy  for  you  too  if 
it  had  not  been  so  much  known  and  so  much  felt.  That 
which  we  are  now  upon  by  command  of  the  highest  court 
is  to  try  and  judge  you  for  these  great  crimes.  You  are 
charged  as  a  tyrant,  a  traitor,  a  murderer,  and  an  enemy 
to  the  Commonwealth  of  England.  It  had  been  well  if 
any  or  all  of  these  terms  might  rightly  and  justly  have 
been  spared.  Sir,  the  term  traitor  cannot  be  spared. 
We  shall  easily  agree  it  must  denote  and  suppose  a 
breach  of  trust,  and  it  must  suppose  it  to  be  done  to  a 
superior,  and  therefore  when  you  broke  faith  with  the 
kingdom  you  broke  your  trust  to  your  superior.  The 
Court  could  heartily  desire  that  you  would  lay  your 
hand  upon  your  heart  and  consider  what  you  have  done 
amiss  ;  that  you  would  endeavour  to  make  your  peace 
with  God.  These  are  your  high  crimes,  tyranny  and 


1Ref0u  of  Cfoarles  I.  M? 

treason.  There  is  a  third  thing,  murder,  laid  to  your 
charge.  All  the  bloody  murders  which  have  been 
committed  since  the  time  that  the  division  was  between 
you  and  your  people  must  be  laid  to  your  charge ;  it  is 
a  heinous  and  crying  sin.  If  any  man  will  ask  us  what 
punishment  is  due  to  a  murderer,  let  God's  law,  let  man's 
law,  speak.  I  will  presume  that  you  are  so  well  read  in 
Scripture  as  to  know  what  God  hath  said  concerning  the 
shedding  of  man's  blood.  The  Court  are  sensible  of 
that  innocent  blood  that  hath  been  shed,  whereby  the 
land  stands  still  defiled  with  that  blood.  It  can  no  way 
be  cleansed  but  with  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  him 
that  shed  this  blood.  We  know  no  dispensation  from 
this  blood  in  that  Commandment,  "  Thou  shalt  do  no 
murder."  We  do  not  know  but  that  it  extends  to  kings 
as  well  as  peasants ;  the  command  is  universal ;  God's 
law  forbids  it ;  man's  law  forbids  it ;  nor  do  we  know 
that  there  is  any  exception,  not  even  in  man's  laws,  for 
the  punishment  of  murder.  The  weight  that  lies  upon 
you  in  all  these  respects  by  your  tyranny,  treason, 
breach  of  trust,  and  murders  that  hath  been  committed, 
surely,  sir,  must  drive  you  into  a  sad  consideration  as  to 
your  eternal  condition.  It  cannot  be  pleasing  to  you  to 
hear  any  such  things  as  those  mentioned  to  you  by  this 
Court.  The  Court  does  humbly  desire  that  you  will 
seriously  think  of  these  charges  that  you  stand  guilty  of. 
You  said  well  to  us  the  other  day,  you  wished  us  to 
have  God  before  our  eyes ;  truly,  sir,  I  hope  all  of  us 
have  so  ;  that  God  who  we  know  is  a  king  of  kings  and 
lord  of  lords  ;  that  God  with  whom  there  is  no  respect 
of  persons ;  who  is  the  avenger  of  innocent  blood  ;  who 
bestows  a  curse  on  those  who  withhold  not  their  hands 
from  shedding  of  blood,  and  who  do  deserve  death  : 
that  God  we  have  before  our  eyes.  We  do  heartily 
wish  and  desire  that  God  will  be  pleased  to  give  you  a 
sense  of  your  sins,  that  you  would  see  wherein  you  have 
done  amiss,  that  you  would  cry  unto  Him  that  he 
would  deliver  you  from  blood-guiltiness. 


148  IRogal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

The  Clerk  then  read  the  sentence  of  death,  at  the 
conclusion  of  which  the  King  desired  to  reply,  but 
Bradshaw,  in  a  harsh  and  unfeeling  manner,  would  not 
allow  him.  The  King  evidently  did  not  believe  they 
would  dare  to  proceed  to  this  extremity  Three  days 
were  allowed  the  King  between  the  sentence  and  his 
execution  (3Oth  January).  This  interval  he  passed 
chiefly  in  reading  and  devotion.  Such  of  his  family  as 
were  in  London  were  allowed  access  to  him  —  the 
Princess  Elizabeth  and  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  ;  the 
latter  was  a  child.  The  King  charged  the  Princess  to 
tell  the  Queen  that  during  the  whole  course  of  his  life 
he  had  never  once,  even  in  thought,  failed  in  his  fidelity 
towards  her.  On  the  morning  of  the  execution,  at  ten 
a.m.  the  King  was  conveyed  through  a  window  of  the 
banqueting  chamber  of  Whitehall  Palace l  to  the 
scaffold,  where,  declaring  himself  to  die  an  innocent  man, 
he  prayed  that  his  enemies  might  repent,  and  that  his 
death  might  not  be  laid  to  their  charge.  He  had  not 
taken  up  arms  until  after  Parliament  had  enlisted 
forces.  He  declared  his  sentence  to  be  unjust;  and 
further  declared  his  attachment  to  the  Protestant 
religion  as  professed  by  the  Church  of  England.  His 
last  words  were :  "I  go  from  a  corruptible  to  an 
incorruptible  crown,  where  no  disturbance  can  take 
place." 

He  was  beheaded  in  front  of  Whitehall :  and  at 
a  respectful  distance  there  was  an  immense  crowd 
whose  sympathies  were  with  the  unfortunate  King.  By 
the  majority  of  the  people  of  England  the  execution 
was  regarded  as  an  atrocious  murder.  In  Scotland  the 
enemies  of  the  King  only  desired  to  bring  him  to 
reason  ;  they  entirely  disapproved  of  the  execution.  The 
Scots  commissioners,  in  protesting  against  it,  said :  "  How 
hard  a  thing  it  is  to  proceed  against  their  King,  not 
only  without,  but  against,  their  advice  and  consent ; 
that  his  person  was  entrusted  by  that  kingdom  to  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  and  how  much  it  will  reflect  on 
1  Symson. 


of  Gbarles  I.  149 

the  honour  of  Scotland  and  the  faith  of  England  to  take 
away  his  life."1 

The  body  was  conveyed  to  St.  James's  Palace,  where 
it  was  embalmed,  and  on  /th  February  was  interred 
at  Windsor.  The  King  had  expressed  a  wish  to  be 
interred  beside  his  father  in  Westminster  Abbey,  but 
Cromwell  forbade  it,  having,  as  he  said,  reserved  that 
place  for  himself.  At  the  funeral  it  was  found  that  the 
coffin  had  no  inscription  ;  one  of  those  present  supplied 
the  want ;  a  band  of  sheet-lead  was  procured,  and  cut 
out  of  it  with  penknives,  spaces,  in  the  form  of  large 
letters,  so  that  the  words,  "Charles,  Rex,  1648,"  could 
be  read.  The  leaden  band  was  then  lapped  round  the 
coffin. 

Therefore,  as  he  was  ready  to  lay  down 
His  mortal  for  a  true  immortal  crown, 
This,  his  own  epitaph,  he  left  behind, 
Which  men  and  angels  to  his  glory  sing  : 
"  The  people's  Martyr,  and  the  people's  King." 

— Elegy  on  Charles  /. 

The  learning  and  accomplishments  of  Charles  were 
of  no  ordinary  kind.  He  was  well  read  in  the  history 
and  laws  of  his  country.  He  spoke  French,  Spanish 
and  Italian,  and  had  studied  carefully  the  arts  and 
manufactures.  He  said  on  one  occasion  on  the  subject 
of  the  choice  of  a  profession  :  "  I  would  not  be  a  lawyer, 
for  I  could  not  defend  a  bad  cause,  nor  yield  in  a 
good  one." 

Charles's  collection  of  statuary,  paintings,  models  and 
antiquities  was  superb.  He  had  added  to  his  gallery  of 
pictures  the  entire  cabinet  of  the  Duke  of  Mantua, 
considered  the  most  splendid  in  Europe  at  that  period. 
The  price  of  paintings  rose,  it  is  said,  to  double  their 
value  in  consequence  of  a  competition  between  Charles 
and  Philip  IV.  of  Spain,  another  collector.  It  has  been 
asserted  that  Charles  was  once  on  the  point  of  an  agree- 
ment with  Vandyck,  that  for  £80,000  he  would  adorn 
'  Hill  Burton. 


is°  1Ro£al  fxmse  of  Stuart 

the  walls  of  the  banqueting  house  at  Whitehall  with  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter,  but  the  scheme 
fell  through.  He  delighted  in  the  company  of  learned 
men,  and  in  their  society  is  said  to  have  been  more 
social  and  more  at  his  ease  than  on  any  other  occasion. 
Charles  had  received  from  Nature  a  better  understand- 
ing, a  stronger  will,  and  a  keener  and  firmer  temper 
than  his  father.  He  inherited  his  father's  political 
theories,  and  was  more  disposed  to  put  them  in  practice. 
It  would  be  unjust  to  deny  that  he  had  some  of  the 
qualities  of  a  good  and  even  of  a  great  prince. 
Insincerity  was  probably  the  chief  cause  of  his  fall,  and 
the  chief  stain  on  his  memory.  He  found  that  he  must 
govern  either  in  harmony  with  the  House  of  Commons 
or  in  defiance  of  law.  He  ratified,  as  is  well  known,  the 
petition  of  Right,  the  second  Great  Charter  of  the 
liberties  of  England.2  By  doing  so  he  bound  himself 
never  again  to  raise  money  without  the  consent  of 
Parliament ;  never  to  imprison  any  person  unless  in 
due  course  of  law,  and  never  to  subject  his  people  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  courts  martial.3 

Charles  had  many  virtues,  but  all  of  so  unsociable  a 
turn  as  to  do  him  neither  service  nor  credit.  If  the 
Commonwealth  had  suffered  him  to  escape  it  would 
have  been  an  act  of  generosity  and  justice  ;  and  to  have 
granted  him  his  life  would  have  been  among  the  more 
rare  efforts  of  virtue.  As  for  the  execution  having  a 

1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 

'z  Subsequently  to  the  execution  of  Charles  handkerchiefs  dipped 
in  his  blood  were  believed  to  possess  the  virtue  of  healing.  A 
pilgrimage  was  made  from  a  distant  part  to  Ashburnham  in 
Sussex,  in  the  hope  of  cure  from  the  touch  of  the  sheet  in  which 
his  body  was  wrapped,  and  which,  with  his  watch,  is  in  the 
possession  of  Lord  Ashburnham.  The  stamp  of  gold  with  which 
the  King  crossed  the  sore  of  the  sick  person  was  called  an  angel, 
and  of  the  value  of  ten  shillings.  It  had  a  hole  bored  throughout, 
through  which  a  ribbon  was  drawn,  and  the  angel  was  put 
about  the  patient's  neck  till  the  cure  was  complete  ;  the  stamp 
had  the  impression  of  Michael,  the  Archangel,  on  one  side,  and  a 
ship  in  full  sail  on  the  other. — (Pepys's  Diary.) 

3  Symson. 


ot  Gbarles  I.  151 

salutary  or  pernicious  example,  it  was  wholly  needless, 
and  therefore  unjustifiable.  Both  the  sons  of  Charles 
feared  not  to  violate  the  liberties  of  the  people  even 
more  than  he  had  done.  In  his  second  Parliament, 
says  the  historian  May,  Charles  signed  the  Petition  of 
Right,  but  suddenly  dissolving  that  Parliament,  he  acted 
the  same  things,  in  violation  of  law,  which  he  had  done 
before.  The  people's  liberties,  by  the  signing  of  the 
petition,  were  not  fortified  but  utterly  overthrown. 
Many  good  men  were  sorry  that  his  actions  agreed  no 
better  with  his  words,  that  he  openly  protested  before 
God  that  he  would  preserve  the  Protestant  religion  and 
root  out  Papacy  ;  yet  in  the  meantime,  underhand,  he 
promised  to  the  Irish  rebels  an  abrogation  of  those  laws 
against  them  contrary  to  this  undertaking,  in  these 
words :  "  I  will  never  abrogate  the  laws  against  the 
Papists."  The  early  and  repeated  instances  of  his 
insincerity  had  created  such  a  firm  belief  of  his  dissimu- 
lation that  the  popular  leaders,  from  a  well-founded 
distrust  of  his  ambiguous  declarations,  were  ever  afraid 
to  treat  with  him  unless  upon  their  own  terms.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  at  Hampton  Court  a  secret  contract 
was  made  between  the  King  and  Cromwell  that  the 
army  should  restore  His  Majesty,  and  that  Cromwell 
should  have  £10,000  per  annum  ;  and  that  this  bargain 
had  certainly  taken  effect  had  not  the  King  made  an 
apology  for  it  in  a  letter  to  the  Queen,  and  sufficiently 
implied  that  he  did  it  by  constraint,  and  when  at  liberty 
and  in  power  he  should  think  himself  discharged  of  the 
obligation.1 

The  reign  of  Charles,  if  we  except  that  of  Queen  Mary, 
was  the  most  dramatic  of  that  of  all  the  sovereigns 
of  the  House  of  Stuart.  It  cannot  be  said  that  he  was 
wanting  in  decision  of  character,  for  he  kept  his  own 
with  the  Houses  of  Parliament  during  the  long  and 
tedious  correspondence  that  went  on  between  them. 
He  was  a  man  professing  high  moral  principle,  but  it 
must  be  admitted  his  conscience  was  elastic,  which 

1  Laing. 


152  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

materially  contributed  to  his  fall.  Had  he  been  a 
private  citizen,  and  not  a  king,  he  would  have  been 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  men  in  the  kingdom.  His 

O  " 

marriage  was  in  its  result  rather  unsatisfactory,  for  it 
cannot  be  said  that  he  and  Queen  Henrietta  were  well 
matched,  a  natural  result  when  we  consider  that  the 
betrothal  took  place  before  they  ever  saw  each  other. 
But  what  probably  estranged  them  more  than  anything 
was  the  arrogant  behaviour  of  Charles  in  dismissing 
compulsorily  the  Queen's  French  retinue,  and  the  cruel 
and  unfeeling  manner  in  which  he  did  it.  It  was  an 
incident  that  the  Queen  evidently  never  forgot,  and 
never  forgave.  Charles  began  his  reign  in  the  most 
arrogant  manner  by  issuing  an  ordinance  requiring 
the  Scottish  nobles  to  surrender  their  tithes  and  Church 
property ;  and  all  who  refused  to  do  so  were  to  be  pro- 
secuted. This  set  the  Scottish  nobles  against  him  at 
the  very  outset  of  his  career,  and  put  an  end  to  any 
prospects  he  might  entertain  of  being  a  popular  ruler 
in  Scotland.  The  dictatorial  spirit,  it  may  be  said,  was 
in  his  blood,  for  it  prevailed  with  him  all  through  life. 
His  forcing  a  liturgy  on  the  Presbyterians  was  another 
of  his  dictatorial  acts  which  the  people  resented,  and 
which  led  to  much  persecution  and  bloodshed  ;  but  like 
many  of  the  Stuarts  he  was  quite  indifferent  to  that. 
His  instructions  to  Archbishop  Laud  in  1636  in  the 
matter  of  the  liturgy  were  in  the  same  arrogant  spirit, 
and  created  widespread  indignation.  From  this  period 
to  the  execution  of  Laud  there  was  nothing  but  per- 
secution in  the  Church  at  the  instance  of  the  King,  and 
a  strong  feeling  of  antagonism  against  him  on  the  part 
of  the  Presbyterians  as  being  the  cause  of  all  the  troubles 
which  led  to  the  rise  of  the  Covenanters,  and  the  civil 
war  which  followed.  The  Presbyterians  resolved  that 
they  would  fight  this  matter  to  the  bitter  end,  even  if 
it  should  cost  them  their  lives  ;  and  they  did  so, 
and  fought  many  battles  in  order  to  defend  the 
Protestant  religion  and  bring  the  King  to  a  better 
frame  of  mind.  The  Covenanting  struggle  will 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  I.  153 

be     remembered     by    the    Scottish     people     for    all 
time. 

The   Glasgow   General    Assembly    of    1638   was    a 
Presbyterian  one,  and  in  defiance  of  consequences  the 
members  of  it  had  the  courage  of  their  opinions,  and 
resolved   to  repeal   the   acts   of  preceding   assemblies 
from    1606    downwards,   and    to    totally    abolish    the 
Service-Book  and  liturgy.     They  did  more  :  they  ex- 
communicated fourteen  bishops,  and  sent  such  a  thrill 
of  dismay  through  the  ranks   of  the   supporters    and 
promoters  of  the  liturgy,  especially  Laud,  as  they  had 
never  before  experienced.     The  bishops  were  obliged 
to  leave  Scotland.     Then  came  the  National  Covenant, 
followed  by  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  the  text 
of  both  of  which  we  have  recited  in  the  narrative.     The 
Covenanters  entered  the  field  under  Leslie,  and  resolved 
to  fight  the  King  for  their  just  rights.     That  historic 
assembly  called    the  Long  Parliament   met   at  West- 
minster   in    1640,    when    Stratford     and    Laud    were 
impeached    and    afterwards    executed.      This    was    a 
great  victory  to  the  Covenanters,  but  the  conduct  of 
Charles  from    that  date  became  so  vicious   as   to   be 
intolerable.      He   ordered    the    men    who    impeached 
Strafford  to  be  arrested,  and  brought  an  armed  escort 
to  the  door  of  the  House  of  Commons,  while  he  himself 
walked  into  the  House  and  took  the  Speaker's  chair 
with  a  view  of  compelling  the  arrest,  but  the  men  had 
cunningly  disappeared  from  the  House  a  little  before, 
and  Parliament  flatly  refused  to  entertain  the  King's 
request.      Parliament  resolved,  in  view  of  the  King's 
arbitrary  conduct,  that  they  could  no  longer  sit  there  in 
safety,  without  a  full  vindication  of  so  high  a  breach  of 
trust  and  a  sufficient  guard,  and  they  adjourned  the 
House  for  four   days.      The  King   thereafter   became 
highly    disliked    in    the    metropolis,    and    for    safety 
removed  himself  and  his  Court  to  York.     Even  at  this 
date,  after  the  lapse  of  two  and  a  half  centuries,  it  is 
impossible   to   conceive   how   a   man   of  his    force   of 
character  and  determination  could  have  supposed  he 


i54  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


was  doing  anything  else  than  deposing  himself,  and 
surrendering  the  crown,  by  removing  to  York,  and 
with  no  intention  of  an  immediate  return.  At  York 
he  conducted  his  correspondence,  and  had  regular 
communication  with  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  but 
they  could  make  no  impression  upon  him  ;  could  not 
even  obtain  his  signature  to  official  documents. 

In  1642  he  removed  from  York  and  took  up  his 
residence  and  Court  at  Oxford.  In  1644  troubles 
rapidly  multiplied  around  him  ;  the  Covenanters  con- 
tinued fighting  in  England  and  Scotland,  while  his 
great  friend  Laud  was,  on  I2th  July,  beheaded  on 
Tower  Hill.  The  King's  troops  fought  hard,  though 
badly  officered  ;  but  in  1645  they  were  severely  handled 
at  Naseby,  and  his  cause  rendered  hopeless.  After 
Naseby  he  wandered  about  in  disguise,  and  afterwards 
surrendered  to  Leslie  and  got  protection  in  Leslie's 
camp.  The  matter  as  recorded  appears  an  infamous 
transaction,  but  it  is  qualified  by  the  circumstances  we 
have  detailed  in  the  narrative.  Charles's  behaviour 
clearly  indicated  his  incapacity  for  the  throne  and  his 
utter  inability  to  direct  the  administration  of  the 
kingdom.  Among  the  remarkable  events  of  his  reign, 
probably  the  most  notable  was  the  "purging"  of  the 
House  of  Commons  by  Cromwell,  in  order  that  he 
might  accomplish  Charles's  fall.  On  6th  December, 
1648,  Cromwell  surrounded  the  House  with  two  regi- 
ments of  soldiers,  arrested  and  put  in.  prison  40  members 
as  they  were  entering,  and  excluded  100  more.  That 
being  done,  Cromwell  could  make  Parliament  sub- 
servient to  his  purposes,  as  the  "  Rump  "  who  remained 
were  his  supporters.  This  was  followed  by  an  ordinance 
for  the  trial  of  the  King,  brought  in  by  Cromwell  and 
passed  by  his  Parliament  ;  of  which  the  King's  execution 
was  the  result.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  English 
Parliament  before  this  outrage  was  not  responsible  for 
the  King's  fate,  which  was  brought  about  by  Cromwell 
and  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  "  Rump."  The  removal 
of  the  King  enabled  Cromwell  to  arrive  at  the  summit 


of  Cbarles  I.  155 

of  his  ambition,  the  dictatorship  of  the  kingdom.  He 
was  afterwards,  in  1653,  made  Lord  Protector,  and  in 
reality  governed  the  realm.  His  life,  however,  after 
that  appointment  was  short,  as  he  died  in  1658,  after 
which  we  are  confronted  with  a  very  different  class  of 
ruler  in  the  person  of  Charles  II. 

On  the  controversial  question,  Was  the  execution  of 
Charles  justifiable  ?  we  must  give  a  negative  answer.  It 
was  a  tyrannical  act  brought  about  by  his  injudicious 
conduct,  his  arrogant  and  unreasonable  nature,  and  the 
impossibility  of  the  English  Parliament  to  carry  on  the 
administration  under  him.  His  execution  was  keenly 
disapproved  by  both  the  English  and  Scottish  people. 
We  do  not  see  that  Parliament  could  have  restored  him 
to  the  throne  after  the  experience  they  had  had  of  him. 
Their  lives  and  liberties  would  not  have  been  safe ; 
when  all  has  been  said,  he  did  not  deserve  his  cruel  fate, 
and  his  death  must  be  charged  to  Cromwell,  and 
Cromwell  alone,  as  the  greatest  blunder  in  the  Lord 
Protector's  otherwise  able  and  efficient  rule. 

A  month  after  the  execution  of  the  King  there  was 
what  might  be  called  a  massacre  of  nobles.  A  scaffold 
was  erected  before  Westminster  Hall,  and  the  first 
victim  was  the  Duke  of  Hamilton,  who  was  taken 
prisoner  after  the  battle  of  Preston.  The  Duke,  on  the 
scaffold,  complained  that  he  was  being  sacrificed  for 
obeying  the  laws  of  his  country,  which,  if  he  had  not 
done,  he  must  have  been  put  to  death.  The  next 
victim  was  the  Earl  of  Holland,  who  was  far  gone  with 
a  mortal  disease.  Following  him  was  the  Lord  Capel. 
He  said  he  was  brought  thither  to  die  for  doing  that 
which  he  could  not  repent  of;  that  he  had  been  born 
and  bred  under  the  government  of  a  king  whom  he  was 
bound  to  obey  ;  under  laws  to  which  he  had  been 
always  obedient ;  and  in  the  bosom  of  a  Church  which 
he  thought  the  best  in  the  world ;  that  he  had  never 
violated  the  faith  of  either  of  these,  and  was  now  con- 
demned to  die,  against  all  the  laws  of  the  land.  So 
ended  the  year  1648-9,  a  year  of  reproach  and  infamy 


156  1Rcn?al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

above  all  years  that  had  preceded  it ;  a  year  of  the 
highest  dissimulation  and  hypocrisy;  of  the  deepest 
villainy  and  most  bloody  treasons  that  any  nation  was 
ever  cursed  with ;  a  year  in  which  the  recital  of  all 
transactions  ought  to  be  erased  from  the  Record.1 

Children  of  Charles  I.  and  Henrietta  Maria  de 
Bourbon,  daughter  of  Henry  IV.,  King  of  France, 
and  Maria  de  Medicis : — 

1.  Charles,  who  died  immediately  after  baptism. 

2.  Charles,  afterwards  Charles  II.,  born  2Qth  May,  1630. 

3.  Mary,  born  1631,  married  William  of  Nassau,  Prince  of  Orange, 

who  died  1650.  Nine  days  after  his  death  she  was  delivered 
of  a  posthumous  child,  William  of  Orange,  afterwards  King  of 
England. 

4.  James,    Duke  of    York,   afterwards   James    II.    of   England, 

born  1633. 

5.  Elizabeth,  born  1635.     Died  of  grief  in  Carisbrook  Castle,  1650. 

6.  Henry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty,  unmarried,  born  1641. 

7.  Anne,  who  died  young. 

8.  Henrietta  Maria,  born   1644.      She  married  Philip,  Duke  of 

Orleans,  brother  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  had  issue  Maria  Louisa, 
born  1662  ;  married  Charles  II.,  King  of  Spain,  and  died 
childless  ;  Anne  Mary,  born  1669,  married  the  Duke  of  Savoy, 
and  had  issue  five  children. 

Queen  Henrietta  Maria,  wife  of  Charles  I.,  died  in 
1669  in  France,  and  was  interred  in  the  Abbey  of  St. 
Dennis,  near  Paris ;  her  head  in  the  Convent  of 
Chaillot. 

1  Clarendon's  Rebellion. 


CHARLES    II. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Sir  Peter  Lely,  in  the  Collection  of  the  Marquis  of  Hertford  ) 


To  facet>   157 


CHAPTER  V. 

Birth  and  Boyhood  of  Charles  II. — Proclaimed  King  at  Edinburgh 
— Proclamation  of  "Rump"  Parliament — Charles  at  The  Hague 
— Letter,  Parliament  of  England — Reply  of  Scottish  Parlia- 
ment— Battle  of  Invercarron — Arrival  of  Charles  in  Scotland — 
Cromwell  and  the  Battle  of  Dunbar — Charles  crowned  at 
Scone — Coronation  proceedings—  Cromwell  at  Inverkeithing 
— Battle  of  Worcester  and  capture  of  Leslie — Escape  of  the 
King — Extraordinary  wanderings  of  the  King — His  romantic 
and  thrilling  incidents — His  escape  to  France — Cromwell  and 
the  Devil. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  II. 

A.D.    1649 — 1685. 

THE  spoiled  and  wayward  son  of  Charles  I.  and 
Henrietta  Maria  now  comes  upon  the  scene.  Under 
his  reign  the  nation  was  anything  but  flourishing.  It 
might  almost  be  said  that  under  him  the  dial  went 
back  25  degrees.  He  was  born  at  St.  James's  on  29th 
May,  1630,  and  thereafter  was  created  Prince  of  Wales. 
At  the  age  of  eight  years  he  was  committed  to  the  care 
of  William  Cavendish,  Duke  of  Newcastle,  as  his  first 
tutor  and  guardian.  At  the  age  of  eleven,  William, 
Marquis  of  Hertford,  was  appointed  in  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle's  place,  and  Lord  Hertford  was  afterwards 
superseded  by  Thomas  Howard,  Earl  of  Berkshire,  who 
retained  the  office  till  1644.  On  5th  March,  1645,  the 
Prince  and  his  adviser,  Sir  Edward  Hyde,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Clarendon,  took  leave  of  the  King  owing  to  the 
troubles  of  the  time,  and  they  never  saw  the  King  again. 
Prince  Charles  and  Hyde  went  to  Bristol,  where  they 
remained  some  time,  thence  to  Cornwall,  the  Prince's 
life  being  in  danger.  General  Fairfax,  however,  had 
just  arrived  at  Bodmin  in  that  county  with  the  object 


158  TCopal  fcouse  of  Stuart 

of  capturing  the  Prince,  but  Hyde  out-manoeuvred  him. 
On  2nd  March,  1646,  the  Prince,  with  Sir  Edward  Hyde 
and  others,  took  ship  and  arrived  at  the  Scilly  Isles. 
Here  they  found  great  misery  and  destitution.  They 
remained  till  i6th  April,  sometimes  in  want  of  food, 
having  brought  only  a  scanty  supply  of  provisions  from 
Cornwall.  Cromwell  made  vigorous  attempts  to  kidnap 
the  Prince,  and  actually  on  one  occasion  a  fleet  of 
twenty  vessels  arrived  at  the  Scilly  Isles  for  the 
purpose.  A  violent  storm,  however,  arose,  which 
enabled  the  Prince  and  Hyde  to  escape  in  a  boat  to 
Jersey.  The  difficulty  now  was  whether  the  Prince 
should  remain  in  Jersey  or  go  over  to  France.  Hyde 
was  opposed  to  his  going  there.  The  Queen-mother, 
who  was  in  France,  resorted  to  every  artifice  to  get  him 
into  her  power.  She  eventually  sent  a  letter  signed  by 
herself  and  the  King  desiring  that  the  Prince  be  sent  to 
France,  and  Hyde,  in  the  face  of  this  letter,  could  detain 
him  no  longer.1  Hyde  not  being  on  good  terms  with 
the  Queen  declined  to  accompany  the  Prince,  but 
remained  in  Jersey  for  two  years,  and  employed  a 
large  portion  of  his  time  in  writing  the  "  History  of  the 
Rebellion."  In  June,  1648,  the  Queen  summoned  him 
to  France  to  attend  on  the  Prince.  In  1649  the  Prince 
paid  a  second  visit  to  Jersey,  accompanied  by  an  escort 
of  300  persons ;  but  their  stay  was  brief,  and  they 
returned  to  France,  the  Prince  going  to  Breda  to  reside 
with  his  sister,  the  Princess  of  Orange.  Evidently  his 
mother  and  he  did  not  get  on  together. 

In  Scotland,  at  this  date,  there  was  the  greatest 
excitement.  The  Scottish  Parliament  and  the  Scottish 
people  were,  with  much  reason,  enraged  at  the  execution 
of  their  sovereign,  an  indefensible  act  that  was  per- 
petrated without  their  knowledge.  This  feeling  was 
rendered  more  acute  in  view  of  the  circumstances  of 
the  King's  surrender  to  the  English  Parliament  on  the 
honourable  understanding  that  he  would  be  protected. 
Such  a  deliberate  outrage  as  the  King's  murder  had 
1  Campbell's  Lives  of  the  Chancellors. 


of  Cbarles  II.  159 

never  been  contemplated  by  the  Scots.  Smarting  under 
this  insult,  the  Scottish  Parliament,  on  5th  February, 
1649,  six  days  after  the  execution  of  the  King,  pro- 
claimed the  Prince  of  Wales  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of 
Edinburgh  as  Charles  II.,  King  of  Great  Britain,  France 
and  Ireland,  without  consulting  Cromwell  or  his  Parlia- 
ment. The  circumstances  justified  the  Scots  in  adopting 
this  independent  course.  This  act  was  done  before  any 
step  was  taken  to  ascertain  Charles's  views  on  the 
Covenant,  the  question  of  the  hour. 
This  proclamation  was  as  follows  : — 

The  Estates  of  Parliament  presently  convened  in  the 
second  session  of  the  second  triennial  Parliament,  etc. : 
Forasmuch  as  the  King's  Majesty  who  lately  reigned 
is,  contrary  to  the  dissent  and  protestation  of  this 
kingdom,  now  removed  by  a  violent  death  ;  and  that  by 
God's  blessing  there  is  left  to  us  a  righteous  heir  and 
lawful  successor,  Charles,  Prince  of  Wales,  now  King 
of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ireland.  We  therefore 
unanimously  proclaim  and  declare  that  the  said  Prince 
Charles  is,  by  the  providence  of  God  and  by  right  of 
succession  and  descent,  King  of  Great  Britain,  etc., 
whom  all  subjects  of  this  kingdom  are  bound  faithfully 
to  obey,  maintain  and  defend,  according  to  the  National 
Covenant,  and  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  between 
the  kingdoms,  with  their  life  and  goods,  as  their 
righteous  sovereign  Lord  and  King.  It  is  hereby 
declared,  that  before  he  be  admitted  to  the  exercise 
of  his  Royal  power  he  shall  give  satisfaction  to  the 
kingdom  in  those  things  that  concern  the  security  of 
religion  and  the  union  between  the  kingdoms,  accord- 
ing to  these  Covenants.  We,  the  Parliament  of  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  publish  this  our  acknowledgment 
of  his  just  right,  title  and  succession  to  the  crown,  at 
the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh,  and  ordain  his  Royal 
name  and  seal  to  be  used  in  the  public  writings  and 
judicatories  of  the  kingdom.  God  save  King  Charles  II.! 
1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


160  iRo^al  fbouse  of  Stuart 


Argyll  caused  the  following  clause  to  be  inserted  :  — 
"  Because  His  Majesty  is  bound  by  the  laws  of  God  and 
the  laws  of  this  kingdom  to  rule  in  righteousness  and 
equity,  to  the  honour  of  God,  the  good  of  religion, 
and  the  welfare  of  the  people." 

The  tragic  death  of  the  King  had,  as  might  be 
expected,  a  paralysing  influence  on  the  administration 
of  Cromwell.  Had  Cromwell  been  allowed  to  manage 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  undisturbed,  his  rule  might 
probably  have  been  a  great  improvement  on  that  of 
Charles  I.  But  so  far  from  being  undisturbed,  his 
administration  involved  him  in  civil  war  during  the 
whole  nine  years  of  the  Commonwealth  ;  while  his 
merciless  and  indiscriminate  executions,  which  included 
many  of  the  best  men  of  that  age,  reduced  his 
Commonwealth  from  its  attitude  of  civil  allegiance  to 
a  reign  of  terror,  which  has  ever  since  disgraced  the 
pages  of  history.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  barbarous 
and  inhuman  nature  of  these  executions,  which  in  the 
cases  of  men  of  rank  meant  the  mutilation  of  their 
bodies  after  death.  The  "  Rump  "  Parliament  promptly 
proceeded  to  business  on  the  death  of  Charles  I.,  sent 
home  the  Scots  Commissioners  who  were  in  London 
as  an  indication  of  resentment  at  the  proclamation  of 
Charles  II.,  and  issued  a  proclamation  that  no  person 
whatever  should  presume  to  declare  Charles  Stuart,  son 
of  the  late  King,  to  be  King,  or  Chief  Magistrate  of 
England,  under  pain  of  being  adjudged  a  traitor;  but 
the  Scottish  Parliament  ignored  this.  They  next 
abolished,  or  endeavoured  to  abolish,  the  House  of 
Lords  by  a  resolution  that  they  would  make  no  further 
addresses  to  that  House,  nor  receive  any  from  them  ; 
that  that  House  was  useless  and  dangerous,  and  that 
an  act  should  be  passed  abolishing  it  ;  and  that  the 
privilege  of  peers  of  being  free  from  arrest  should  be 
declared  null  and  void.  They  then  proceeded  to  abolish 
the  monarchy,  declaring  that  it  had  been  found  by 
experience  that  the  office  of  King  was  unnecessary, 
burdensome  and  dangerous  to  the  liberty,  safety  and 


CATHERINE   OF   BRAGANZA. 
Queen  of  Scotland.     Wife  of  Charles  II. 

(By  Henry  jSascar,  National  Portrait  Gallery.) 


of  Cbarles  II.  161 

interest  of  the  nation,  and  therefore  that  it  should  be 
utterly  abolished.1  These  remarkable  proceedings 
irritated  the  Scottish  Parliament,  particularly  as  the 
"  Rump "  consisted  of  only  fifty  men,  exclusive  of 
Cromwell's  soldiers.  Cromwell  immediately  created  his 
new  Great  Seal  for  the  Commonwealth  ;  on  one  side  it 
had  the  arms  of  England  and  Ireland,  with  the  words, 
"  The  Great  Seal  of  England " ;  on  the  obverse  the 
House  of  Commons  sitting,  with  the  words,  "  In  the 
first  year  of  freedom  by  God's  blessing,  restored, 
1648." 

On  i yth  March,  1649,  two  months  after  the  late 
King's  death,  a  deputation  of  the  Estates,  headed  by  the 
Earl  of  Cassillis,  waited  on  Charles  at  The  Hague  in 
order  to  ascertain  if  he  was  prepared  to  sign  the 
Covenant.  To  this  deputation  he  promised  everything. 
Sir  Joseph  Douglas  also  arrived  at  The  Hague  with  a 
letter  to  Charles  from  the  Privy  Council  of  Scotland, 
informing  him  that  they  had  already  proclaimed  him 
King.  They  sent  him  the  proclamation,  and  requested 
him  to  prepare  to  return  to  Scotland ;  they  would 
speedily  send  him  another  invitation.  That  invitation 
arrived  at  the  same  time  with  some  commissioners 
deputed  by  the  Privy  Council;  also  three  or  four 
ministers  representing  the  Kirk.  The  Covenanters 
considered  it  of  vital  importance  to  the  welfare  and 
peace  of  the  realm  that  the  King's  signature  should  be 
obtained  to  the  Covenant. 

The  Scottish  Parliament  continued  to  be  deeply 
enraged  at  the  murder  of  the  King,  while  the  "  Rump  " 
Parliament  was  displeased  at  the  proclamation  of 
Charles  by  the  Scots,  and  the  following  communications 
passed  on  the  subject : — 

WESTMINSTER,  iyd  May,  1649. 

The  Parliament  of  England  to  the  Parliament  of 
Scotland.  —  MY  LORDS  AND  GENTLEMEN, —  I  am 
commanded  by  the  Parliament  of  England  to  desire 

1  Clarendon's  Rebellion. 
VOL.    II.  L 


1 62  tRosal  fbcmse  of  Stuart 

your  lordships  to  acquaint  the  Parliament  of  Scotland 
that  they  have  many  things  of  just  resentment  to  make 
known,  and  demand  satisfaction  for,  from  the  Parlia- 
ment and  kingdom  of  Scotland  ;  the  particulars  they 
think  it  not  needful  to  mention  at  this  time,  being 
things  so  generally  known  and  fresh  in  memory ;  and 
being  desirous  to  get  satisfaction  in  a  peaceable  way, 
they  therefore  propose  that  commissioners  for  each 
nation  be  appointed  to  meet  in  some  convenient  place, 
mutually  agreed  on,  to  which  meeting  commissioners 
shall  be  sent,  fully  authorised,  from  the  Parliament  of 
England  and  the  Commonwealth,  with  instructions  to 
make  known  the  particulars  they  have  to  complain  of; 
and  if  they  receive  satisfaction  the  Parliament  of 
England  is  willing,  and  their  commissioners  shall  be 
further  authorised,  to  conclude  a  firm  and  strict  league 
of  amity  and  friendship  between  the  two  nations,  by 
means  of  which  these  may  be  preserved  in  a  lasting 
peace  and  happy  enjoyment  of  religion  in  its  purity  ; 
together  with  their  civil  liberties,  notwithstanding  the 
many  wicked  designs  that  are  on  foot  against  them,  by 
both  secret  and  professed  enemies.  I  desire  that  the 
Parliament  of  Scotland's  answer  may  be  returned  by 
the  bearer,  who  is  sent  express. — I  am,  etc., 

WILL.  LENTHALL, 
Speaker  of  the  Parliament  of  England. 

To  this  communication  a  very  independent  answer  is 
recorded : — 

EDINBURGH,  26th  June,  1649. 

The  Estates  of  the  Parliament  of  Scotland  have 
received  the  letter  of  23rd  May,  1649,  signed  by  you 
as  Speaker  of  Parliament,  and  written  in  the  name 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  England  ;  which  titles  in 
regard  to  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  and  treaties 
and  many  declarations  of  the  Parliaments  of  both 
kingdoms  are  such  as  they  may  not  acknowledge. 
Those  things  of  just  resentment  wherein  satisfaction  is 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  II.  163 

demanded  from  this  kingdom    are  only  mentioned   in 
the   general,  and   therefore   cannot   so  well   receive   a 
particular  answer,  but  if  by  those  general  expressions, 
the   late    unlawful    engagement    against   England    be 
understood,  they  desire  that  their  protestations  against 
the  same  in  Parliament,  and  the  opposition  made  by 
them  afterwards  in  arms  (which  they  never  laid  down 
till  the  garrisons  of  Berwick  and  Carlisle  were  restored 
to  England),  may  be  remembered,  together  with   the 
letter   from  the  House   of  Commons   to   the   General 
Assembly  of  this  Kirk,  of  3rd  August,  1648  ;  and  that 
Lieutenant  -  General    Cromwell,    authorised    by    both 
Houses  of  Parliament,  did  upon  the   5th  of  October 
last    represent   to    the   Committee   of  Estates    of  the 
kingdom   of   England   in   that    engagement,   and   did 
demand  that  they  would  give  assurance  in  the  name 
of  Scotland  not  to  admit  or  suffer  any  who  have  been 
active   in,   or   consenting   to,  that  engagement,   to   be 
employed  in  any  public  place  or  trust ;  which  was  not 
only  granted  and  confirmed  by  Parliament,  but  all  acts 
for   the   prosecution   of  that    engagement    have   been 
repealed,    and    all    proceedings    thereon    publicly   dis- 
claimed ;  and  if  any  other  wrongs  shall  be  made  known 
to  us,  we  shall  be  ready  to  return  such  an  answer  as 
may  give  satisfaction,  if  the  bonds  of  religion,  loyalty 
to  the  King,  and  mutual  amity  and  friendship  between 
the  kingdoms  be  impartially  considered   according   to 
the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  and  the  professions 
and  declarations  of  both  kingdoms.      The  Estates  of 
Parliament  think  they  have  just  cause  to  complain  of 
the  late  proceedings  in  England  in  reference  toreligion, 
the  taking  away  of  the  King's  life,  and  the  change  of 
the  fundamental  government  of  that  kingdom  ;  against 
which  this  Kirk  and  kingdom,  and  their  commissioners, 
have  protested  and  given  testimony.      It  is  apparent 
there  has  been  of  late  in  England   a  backsliding  and 
departure  from  the  grounds   and    principles   in  which 
both    kingdoms    have    been    engaged,    the    Scottish 
Parliament  therefore  proposes  that  the  late  proceedings 


1 64  IRosal  fbouse  ot  Stuart 

against  Covenant  and  treaties  may  be  disclaimed  and 
disavowed,  as  the  prosecution  of  the  late  unlawful 
engagement  against  England  has  been  disclaimed  and 
disavowed  here ;  and  that  those  who  have  departed 
from  these  principles  and  their  former  professions  may 
return  to  the  same.  On  these  grounds  they  are  willing 
to  authorise  commissioners  on  behalf  of  Scotland 
to  treat  with  commissioners  from  the  Parliament  of 
England,  concerning  all  matters  of  just  complaint  which 
either  nation  may  have  against  the  other ;  and  for 
redress  and  reparation  thereof,  and  to  do  everything 
that  may  conduce  to  the  continuing  of  peace 
between  the  kingdoms,  which  can  never  be  settled 
on  so  sure  a  foundation  as  the  former  treaties  and 
the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  from  which,  as  no 
alteration  or  revolution  of  affairs  can  absolve  either 
kingdom,  so  we  trust  in  God,  that  no  success  whatever, 
whether  good  or  bad,  shall  be  able  to  divert  us.  As 
it  hath  been  our  care  in  times  past,  it  shall  with  God's 
help  still  be  our  endeavour  to  keep  ourselves  free  from 
all  connection  with  the  Popish,  Prelatical,  or  Malignant 
party  on  the  one  hand,  or  those  who  are  enemies  to 
the  fundamental  government,  by  King  and  Parliament, 
and  countenance  and  maintain  errors,  heresy  and 
schism  upon  the  other.  I  have  no  other  thing  in 
command  from  the  Parliament  of  this  kingdom,  but  to 
take  notice  that  there  is  no  answer  returned  to  their 
letter  of  the  $th  March  last.  LOUDOUN, 

Cancellarius,  Preses  Parlamenti. 

This  courageous  response  of  the  Scottish  Parliament 
put  Cromwell  on  his  "  mettle,"  and  indicated  in  the 
clearest  terms  the  feeling  prevailing  in  Scotland,  and 
what  he  had  to  expect  from  a  people  who  resented  his 
dictatorial  administration. 

The  Covenanters  had  to  be  reckoned  with  as  a  power 
in  the  realm.  For  several  years  they  had  an  anxious 
time  of  it  with  the  late  King  in  order  to  protect  their 
rights.  They  now  refused  to  recognise  Charles  II. 


of  Gbarles  II.  165 

until  he  should  give  security  for  the  religion  and  peace 
of  the  kingdom  according  to  the  National  Covenant, 
and  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  to  which  they 
wanted  his  subscription.  The  Marquis  of  Montrose 
and  other  exiled  Royalists  urged  him  to  reject  the 
Scottish  crown  on  these  conditions,  and  they  offered, 
by  force  of  arms,  to  place  him  on  the  throne.  Civil 
war  was  the  result,  and  Montrose,  with  the  view  of 
carrying  out  his  threat,  foolishly  assembled  his  troops 
on  behalf  of  Charles  and  went  by  sea  to  Scotland. 

The  problem  which  moved  the  kingdom  from 
Land's  End  to  John  o'  Groat's  was  the  religious 
question.  The  late  King  had  in  his  last  days 
ostensibly  abolished  Episcopacy  and  the  Service- 
Book,  and  Cromwell  had  endorsed  that  proceed- 
ing. We  must  remember  that  Cromwell  was  neither 
a  Royalist  nor  a  Covenanter;  neither  an  Episcopalian 
nor  a  Presbyterian,  but  in  his  own  words  he  was  "  an 
Independent."  It  now  remained  to  be  seen  what 
Charles  II.  would  do. 

To  the  great  joy  of  the  Covenanters,  Charles,  on  1st 
May,  1650,  signed  the  draft  of  the  agreement  at  Breda, 
and  at  Heligoland  on  nth  June,  when  on  the  point  of 
sailing  for  Scotland,  he  subscribed  the  complete  and 
final  form  of  the  treaty.  It  provided  that  he  would 
remove  from  the  Court  all  persons  excommunicated 
by  the  Kirk,  that  he  would  by  solemn  oath  allow  the 
National  Covenant,  and  that  he  would  prosecute  the 
ends  thereof  in  his  Royal  station  ;  that  he  would  ratify 
and  approve  all  acts  of  Parliament  in  favour  of  the 
Solemn  League  and  Covenant  and  establishing 
Presbyterianism  ;  the  Directory  of  worship  ;  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  as  already  ratified  by  the  General 
Assembly  and  Paraliament ,  that  he  would  give  his 
Royal  assent  to  the  acts  of  Parliament  enjoining  the 
same  in  the  rest  of  his  dominions  ;  and  that  he  would 
observe  the  same  in  his  own  practice  and  family,  and 
never  make  any  change  thereof;  that  he  would  consent 
that  all  matters  civil  might  be  determined  by  the 


*66  iRo^at  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

present  and  subsequent  Parliaments ;  and  all  matters 
ecclesiastical  as  ordered  by  the  General  Assembly. 
Whether  at  this  date  Charles  may  be  charged  with 
simplicity  or  insincerity  the  fact  remains  that  this 
promise  was  worthless. 

Charles  arrived  in  a  Dutch  fleet  in  the  mouth  of  the 
Spey  on  23rd  June,  1650,  one  month  after  the 
execution  of  Montrose,  and  in  view  of  his  supposed 
duplicity  was  requested  to  sign  the  Covenant  again 
before  he  was  permitted  to  land.  He  accordingly  did 
so.  These  prompt  proceedings  alarmed  Cromwell,  who 
immediately  resolved  to  collect  his  forces  and  march 
into  Scotland.  On  i6th  July  he  crossed  the  Tweed 
with  n,ooo  infantry  and  5,000  cavalry  and  continued 
his  march  to  Musselburgh.  When  he  advanced  from 
that  place  he  found  the  enemy  entrenched  between 
Leith  and  Edinburgh  in  a  position  which  secured  the 
defence  of  both  towns.  After  some  desultory  fighting 
he  fell  back  on  Musselburgh,  hotly  pursued  by  the 
Scottish  Horse,  who  succeeded  in  capturing  Lambert,  one 
of  Cromwell's  generals,  though  he  was  eventually  rescued. 
On  6th  August  Cromwell  retired  to  Dunbar,  and  on 
nth  August  he  returned  to  Musselburgh.  Finding 
it  impossible  to  make  his  way  to  Leith  he  made  for 
Queensferry  so  as  to  cut  off  Leslie's  communication 
with  the  North. 

On  the  1 8th  he  took  up  his  position  on  the  Braid 
Hills.  The  main  body  of  the  Scots  now  drew  up 
on  the  south  side  of  Edinburgh,  facing  the  English 
army,  while  a  detachment  of  two  guns  was  stationed 
on  Corstorphine  Hill.  To  reach  Queensferry,  there- 
fore, he  had  to  pass  between  Corstorphine  and 
Edinburgh,  where  he  would  be  exposed  to  the  double 
fire  of  the  Scots.  Thus  checkmated,  Cromwell  moved 
to  Colinton,  to  which  Leslie  responded  by  marching 
his  troops  to  Corstorphine.  Cromwell  crossed  the 
water  of  Leith,  in  order  to  proceed  to  Queensferry, 
but  Leslie  checkmated  him  again,  occupied  the  high 
ground  behind  Gogar,  west  of  Colinton,  and  barred  his 


IReign  of  Gbarles  II.  167 

further  march.     Foiled  in  all  his  attempts  to  force  a 
battle,  Cromwell  was  disappointed,  and  was  in  great 
straits  for  provisions.      He  was    obliged   to   retire   to 
Dunbar,  which  he  reached  on  28th  August,  having  lost 
since  he  crossed  the  Tweed  5,000  men,  mainly  through 
disease   induced    by   scarcity   of  food    and    exposure.1 
Cromwell   was    at   last    caught   in   a   trap,   as    Leslie 
followed  him  to  Dunbar.     If  he  continued  his  march 
southwards  he  would  have  to  fight  at  a  disadvantage. 
An  attempt  to  escape  by  sea  would  be  attended  with 
greater  risk,  as  he  would  have  to  embark  his  troops  in 
the  face  of  the  enemy.     "  We  are  upon  an  engagement 
very  difficult,"  he  wrote.     "  Our  lying  here  daily  con- 
sumeth  our  men,  but  we  have  much  hope  in  the  Lord, 
of  whose    mercy   we    have    had    large    experience."2 
On    Tuesday,   3rd    September,  shortly   before   sunrise, 
Cromwell   began    the    attack    on    Leslie    at    Dunbar 
by  crossing  the  stream  at  Broxmouth  House,  and  thus 
secured    a   passage   for   his   troops.      The   chances   of 
success  were  rather  against  the  Scots,  as  in  his  cramped 
position  Leslie  had  no  scope  to  arrange  his  forces  as  his 
skill  and  experience  might  have  suggested.     Though 
taken   at   a   disadvantage   the   Scots   made   a  gallant 
resistance ;  Lambert  attacking  the  Scottish  Horse  was 
beaten  back,  and  Monk  had  the  same  experience  with 
the  Scottish   Infantry.      It  was  only  when   Cromwell 
himself  came  up  at  the  head  of  three  regiments  of  foot, 
and  one  of  cavalry,  that  the   line  of  the   Scots   was 
broken.     Two   Scots   regiments   fought  heroically  but 
were  cut  down  ;  the  majority  of  the  army  showed  great 
want  of  courage,  many  surrendered,  many  fled,  casting 
away  their  weapons  before  they  had  begun  to  use  them. 
And   the   rout   being   complete    Cromwell   exclaimed, 
"  Let  God  arise  and  let  His  enemies  be  scattered."     He 
then  commanded  a  halt  and  sang  the  H7th  Psalm.     It 
is  said  that  3,000  were  slain  at   this   battle,  including 
a  number  of  officers  and  ministers,  and  10,000  taken 
prisoners.     One  half  of  these  were  dismissed  from  the 
1  Hume  Brown.  2  Ibid. 


1  68  IRosal  Tbouse  of  Stuart 


field  sick  or  wounded  ;  the  other  half  were  cruelly 
treated.  They  suffered  great  hardships  at  Newcastle 
and  Durham,  where  they  were  imprisoned,  many  of 
them  dying  of  pestilence  and  hunger.  The  survivors, 
with  a  cruelty  dishonourable  to  Cromwell  and  his 
Parliament,  were  sent  to  the  English  settlements  in 
America,  and  sold  for  slaves. 

The  result  of  the  battle  of  Dunbar  was  that  Edinburgh, 
except  the  castle,  surrendered.  The  reports  we  possess 
of  the  battle  are  incomplete.  We  have,  for  example, 
no  information  as  to  the  number  of  clergy  who  were 
amongst  Leslie's  troops,  nor  to  what  extent  Leslie  was 
dominated  by  these  men,  nor  the  reasons  which  led  to 
their  being  there  at  all.  Leslie's  camp  was  situated 
between  Edinburgh  and  Leith,  and  an  English  his- 
torian '  informs  us  "  that  the  young  King  came  into  the 
camp  and  was  gaining  on  the  affections  of  the  soldiers. 
At  this  the  clergy  who  were  with  Leslie  got  alarmed 
and  ordered  him  immediately  to  leave  the  camp.  They 
at  the  same  time  purged  it  of  4,000  soldiers  (malignants) 
who  followed  the  King  and  who  were  the  best  soldiers 
in  the  service.  They  then  concluded  that  they  had  an 
army  composed  entirely  of  saints  and  could  not  be 
beaten.  They  murmured  against  their  general,  and 
against  the  Lord  on  account  of  His  delays  in  giving 
them  deliverance  ;  and  they  told  Him  that  if  he  would 
not  save  them  from  the  English  he  should  no  longer  be 
their  God."  We  have  no  means  of  verifying  this  extra- 
ordinary report  of  the  historian,  and  the  reader  must 
attach  his  own  value  to  it.  That  there  was  a  large 
contingent  of  ministers  at  the  battle  fighting  against 
Cromwell  there  appears  no  doubt.  Another  historian2 
informs  us  that  the  defeat  at  Dunbar  was  a  matter  that 
pleased  the  King  exceedingly  ;  it  was  the  greatest 
happiness  that  could  befall  him  in  the  loss  of  so  strong 
a  body  of  his  enemies  (the  clergy),  who,  if  they  had 
prevailed,  would  have  shut  him  up  in  prison  ;  which 
had  been  only  a  stricter  confinement  than  he  suffered 
1  Hume.  2  Clarendon. 


of  Cbarles  II.  169 

already,  as  Lord  Lorn,  Argyll's  eldest  son,  being 
Captain  of  the  Guard,  watched  him  night  and  day,  so 
that  he  could  not  go  anywhere  without  his  leave. 
After  this  defeat  they  looked  upon  the  King  as  a 
necessary  person  :  permitted  his  servants  who  had  been 
sequestered  from  him  to  attend  and  wait  upon  him, 
and  began  to  talk  of  his  coronation.  As  Clarendon  was 
in  attendance  on  the  King,  and  was  in  reality  his 
adviser,  and  a  very  able  adviser,  his  opinion,  as  far  as  it 
goes,  may  be  accepted  as  accurate.  Cromwell  gave 
the  Edinburgh  ministers  liberty  to  preach  in  their  own 
pulpits,  but  they  declined  because  of  the  violation  of  the 
Covenant  and  his  restrictions  placed  on  English  min- 
isters. For  a  short  time  soldiers  and  laymen  occupied 
the  vacant  pulpits,  and  preached,  it  is  said,  to  crowded 
audiences.  General  Leslie  retired  with  the  remainder  of 
his  army  to  Stirling  and  preserved  a  bold  front  notwith- 
standing his  defeat  at  Dunbar.  Disaffected  persons 
were  ordered  to  quit  Edinburgh  within  twenty-four 
hours  and  to  leave  the  kingdom  within  twenty  days. 
The  young  King,  who  was  living  in  Perth,  and  had  gone 
from  Perth  and  Falkland  to  Dunfermline,  finding 
things  going  against  him,  departed  on  4th  October  to 
the  Atholl  country,  where  a  plan  was  being  formulated 
for  gathering  the  Highlanders  to  his  standard  after  his 
defeat  at  Dunbar,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  anything 
came  of  this  movement. 

The  Estates  of  Parliament  met  at  Perth  and  ordained 
the  coronation  of  Charles  to  take  place  at  Scone  on  1st 
January,  1651.  Edinburgh  was  at  this  date  in  the 
occupation  of  Cromwell.  This  was  the  last  coronation 
of  the  Scottish  kings  at  Scone.  The  owner  of  Scone 
was  James  Murray,  third  Viscount  Stormont.  The 
event  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp  and  solemnity. 
Charles  was  seated  in  a  chair  of  state,  under  a  canopy, 
by  the  Earl  of  Angus,  in  the  hall  of  the  palace.  The 
commissioners  of  barons  and  burghs  were  introduced 
and  presented  to  the  King,  after  which  the  Earl  of 
Loudoun,  the  Chancellor,  said :  "  Sir,  your  good  subjects 


Ibouse  of  Stuart 

desire  that  you  may  be  crowned  as  the  righteous  and 
lawful  heir  of  the  crown  of  Scotland  ;  that  you  would 
maintain  religion  as  it  is  presently  professed  and 
established,  conform  to  the  National  Covenant  and 
Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  according  to  your 
declaration  in  Dunfermline  in  August  last  ;  also  that 
you  would  be  graciously  pleased  to  receive  them  under 
your  protection,  govern  them  by  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom,  and  defend  them  in  their  rights  and  liberties. 
Offering  themselves  in  the  most  humble  manner  to 
your  Majesty,  with  their  vow  to  bestow  land,  life,  and 
whatever  else  is  in  their  power  for  the  maintenance  of 
religion,  for  the  safety  of  your  person  and  maintenance 
of  your  crown,  which  they  entreat  you  to  accept  ;  and 
pray  Almighty  God  that  for  many  years  you  may 
happily  enjoy  the  same."  The  King  answered :  "  I  do 
esteem  the  affection  of  my  good  people  more  than  the 
crown  of  many  kingdoms,  and  shall  be  ready,  by  God's 
assistance,  to  bestow  my  life  in  their  defence,  wishing  to 
live  no  longer  than  I  may  see  religion  in  this  kingdom 
flourish  in  all  happiness,"  and  on  his  knees,  with  uplifted 
hands,  he  solemnly  declared  in  the  presence  of  Almighty 
God  his  approval  of  the  Covenants,  consented  to  the 
acts  of  Parliament  enjoining  the  same,  and  establishing 
Presbyterian  government,  and  would  never  oppose  them 
or  change  them.  He  then  subscribed  the  Covenant. 
Thereafter  the  company  formed  into  procession  and 
walked  to  the  church  of  Scone.  The  sword,  sceptre 
and  crown  were  carried  respectively  by  Rothes, 
Crawford  and  Argyll  heading  the  procession,  while 
the  King  followed,  the  Earl  Marischal  being  on  the 
right,  and  the  Lord  High  Constable  on  the  left,  under 
a  canopy  of  crimson  velvet,  his  train  being  carried  by 
Lords  Erskine,  Montgomerie,  Newbattle  and  Mauchline, 
these  being  the  eldest  sons  of  Mar,  Eglinton,  Lothian 
and  Loudoun.  These  again  were  supported  by  the 
Scottish  nobles  Drummond,  Carnegie,  Ramsay, 
Johnstone,  Brechin  and  Yester,  these  being  the  eldest 
sons  of  earls.  The  church  was  fitted  up  for  the 


of  Cfoarles  II.  171 

occasion  with  benches  for  members  of  Parliament. 
In  the  centre  a  platform  was  erected  twenty-four  feet 
square  and  six  feet  high,  and  on  this  the  throne  was 
placed.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Robert  Douglas, 
one  of  the  ministers  of  Edinburgh,  a  strong  Presbyterian, 
from  the  words  :  "  And  he  brought  forth  the  King's  son 
and  put  the  crown  upon  him,  and  gave  him  the 
testimony ;  and  they  made  him  king  and  anointed 
him,  and  they  clapped  their  hands  and  said,  God  save 
the  King."  The  preacher,  addressing  the  King,  said: — 
"  Many  doubt  of  your  reality  in  the  Covenant.  Let 
your  sincerity  and  your  reality  be  evinced  by  your 
steadfastness  and  constancy,  for  many  like  your 
ancestors  have  begun  well,  but  have  not  been  constant ; 
take  warning  from  the  example  before  you,  let  it  be 
laid  to  heart,  requite  not  faithful  men's  kindness  with 
persecution,  yea,  requite  not  the  Lord  so,  who  hath 
preserved  you  to  this  time  and  is  settling  a  crown  upon 
your  head  ;  requite  not  the  Lord  with  apostacy  and 
defection  from  a  sworn  Covenant."  The  King  was 
thereupon  crowned,  took  the  coronation  oath,  and  the 
nobility  the  oath  of  allegiance.  The  proceedings 
terminated  by  an  address  to  the  King,  the  nobles 
and  people,  the  minister  solemnly  admonishing  them 
to  respect  the  vows  they  had  that  day  taken  on 
themselves.1 

After  the  coronation  new  levies  of  troops  proceeded 
with  great  spirit,  Charles  assuming  the  command,  with 
Hamilton  and  Leslie  as  commanding  officers.  They 
took  up  a  strong  position  at  Stirling.  In  the  middle 
of  April,  Cromwell  marched  westward  with  his  troops 
and  reached  Glasgow  on  the  i8th,  where  he  remained 
till  the  3Oth.  He  was  recalled  to  Edinburgh,  and  did 
not  resume  hostilities  in  the  west  till  2 5th  June.  It  is 
recorded  that  a  fierce  encounter  with  the  Scots  took 

1  After  the  coronation  it  was  proposed  that  the  young  King 
should  marry  one  of  Argyll's  daughters.  An  express  was  sent  to 
France  to  get  the  Queen-mother's  consent,  but  it  was  not  obtained, 
and  the  matter  dropped. 


172  IRosal  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

place  near  Inverkeithing,  when  the  latter  were  entirely 
routed,  with  the  loss  of  2,000  men  and  600  taken 
prisoners.  Cromwell  then  advanced  to  Perth,  which 
was  surrendered  by  Lord  Duffus,  the  Governor.  At 
Bridge  of  Earn,  where  he  spent  Sunday,  he  conducted 
public  worship,  and  it  is  said,  preached  a  stirring 
sermon  to  the  soldiers.  In  the  beginning  of  August 
the  Scottish  army,  about  14,000  strong,  suddenly  broke 
up  their  camp  and  advanced  into  England.  As  Crom- 
well was  harassing  Scotland,  it  was  resolved  to  adopt 
this  stratagem  and  give  him  a  quid  pro  quo.  This 
move  took  Cromwell  by  surprise.  Leaving  a  garrison 
in  Perth,  he  sent  General  Monck,  with  7,000  men,  to 
reduce  Stirling  ;  ordered  the  militia  to  assemble  and 
obstruct  the  enemy  ;  commanded  Lambert,  with  a 
body  of  cavalry,  to  hang  upon  their  rear  and  retard 
their  march,  and  hastened  himself  to  follow  them  with 
all  speed.  The  Scots  crossed  the  border  at  Carlisle  on 
6th  August,  but  were  disappointed  that  the  English 
assistance  from  their  supporters  did  not  come  forward. 
Evidently  they  had  no  warning  of  this  movement,  and 
this  had  a  disheartening  effect  on  the  Scots.  The 
clergy  had  issued  a  manifesto  that  no  one  should 
join  the  army  until  he  had  signed  the  Covenant. 

Charles  was  in  great  poverty  at  this  crisis,  and  Lord 
Balcarres  had  been  obliged  to  sell  his  plate  the  previous 
year,  for  £2,000,  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  General 
Assembly.  He  mortgaged  his  estates  for  £6,000  more 
to  pay  the  King's  expenses  in  the  North.  The  Royalist 
troops,  under  Leslie,  continued  to  move  south. 

On  the  march  to  Worcester,  the  King  observed 
General  Leslie  sad  and  melancholy  throughout  the 
journey.  He  rode  up  to  him  and  asked  an  explana- 
tion, seeing  he  was  at  the  head  of  so  brave  an  army. 
Leslie  answered  that  "he  was  melancholy  indeed,  for 
he  well  knew  that  the  army,  how  well  soever  it  looked, 
would  not  fight."  Leslie  was  right,  as  subsequent 
events  showed.  On  the  22nd  August  they  halted  at 
Worcester.  Unfortunately  Lambert,  at  the  head  of 


of  Cbarles  II.  173 

18,000  of  Cromwell's  troops,  was  close  at  hand;  and 
on  28th  August  Cromwell  came  in  sight  with  30,000 
more  and  surrounded  the  town.  On  the  3rd  September, 
the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Dunbar,  the  Worcester 
engagement  began.  The  Scots  had  meanwhile  lined 
the  hedges  with  which  the  ground  was  intersected,  and 
when  the  enemy  crossed  the  river,  they  met  with  so 
warm  a  reception  that  Cromwell  was  obliged  to  cross 
the  Severn  to  their  assistance  with  some  of  his  best 
troops.  The  struggle  is  said  to  have  been  long  and 
fierce,  every  inch  of  ground  being  contested.  Charles 
and  his  Council  of  war  were  anxiously  watching  the 
struggle,  and  they  resolved  to  sally  forth  and  attack 
the  enemy  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river.  Cromwell, 
to  meet  this  movement,  crossed  the  river  by  a  bridge 
of  boats,  and  here  the  keenest  part  of  the  struggle 
began.  The  Scots  fought  with  determined  fury,  drove 
back  the  English  life-guards,  and  for  some  time 
obtained  possession  of  their  artillery.  The  battle  raged 
here  with  alternate  success  for  three  hours,  Cromwell 
admitting  that  it  was  "  as  stiff  a  contest  as  ever  he 
had  seen."  The  Scots  eventually  were  compelled  to 
yield  ;  3,000  were  estimated  as  slain  and  6,000  taken 
prisoners,  which  included  General  Middleton,  1 1  nobles, 
and  150  officers.  The  Duke  of  Hamilton  was  mortally 
wounded  in  the  leg,  and  died  in  a  week  after.  It  is 
recorded  that  the  soldiers  taken  were  treated  with 
great  cruelty,  sent  to  plantations  abroad  and  sold  as 
slaves.  The  "  Rump "  Parliament  ordained  that  the 
estates  of  those  who  fought  at  Worcester  on  behalf 
of  Charles  were  to  be  confiscated.  Leslie  escaped 
with  15,000  troops,  but  was  intercepted  in  Yorkshire 
and  taken  prisoner.  He  and  Lauderdale  and  the 
Scottish  nobles  were  sent  to  the  Tower  of  London,  and 
a  price  set  on  the  King's  head.  Leslie  and  Lauderdale 
remained  prisoners  in  the  Tower  until  the  Restoration 
in  1660,  when  they  were  released,  Leslie  being  created 
Lord  Newark  in  consideration  of  his  services. 

The  King  made  his  escape  from  the  battle,  accom- 


174  TRopal  ffoouse  of  Stuart 

panied  by  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  the  Earls  of 
Derby,  Shrewsbury,  Cleveland,  Lord  Wilmot  and  a 
small  body  of  horse — in  all,  about  sixty  persons.  The 
romantic  adventures,  privations  and  hairbreadth  escapes 
of  Charles  during  forty-five  days  after  the  battle  of 
Worcester  form  a  remarkable  page  of  history.  The 
first  place  where  he  rested  was  Boscobel  House, 
Staffordshire,  inhabited  by  William  Penderell  and  his 
wife,  true  Royalists.  In  the  dead  of  night  they  passed 
unperceived  through  Stourbridge,  where  a  party  of  the 
enemy's  horse  happened  to  be  quartered,  after  which 
they  arrived  at  this  place,  twenty -six  miles  from 
Worcester.  George  Penderell,  a  servant  of  the  family, 
was  hurried  from  his  bed,  and  his  brothers,  William, 
Humphrey  and  Richard  were  sent  for.  Richard,  who 
was  the  first  to  arrive,  was  instantly  despatched  for  a 
suit  of  his  own  clothes  for  the  King.  On  his  return 
he  and  William  were  conducted  into  the  apartment 
in  which  were  the  King  and  his  companions.  The 
next  thing  was  to  render  the  disguise  of  Charles  as 
effectual  as  possible.  Having  stripped  himself,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  companions,  of  his  buff  coat 
and  his  military  equipment,  he  gave  his  watch  to 
Lord  Wilmot,  and  what  money  he  had  he  gave  to 
the  servants.  Then,  having  rubbed  his  face  and  hands 
with  soot  from  the  chimney,  he  dressed  himself  in  the 
woodman's  garb  of  Richard  Penderell,  consisting  of  a 
coarse  shirt,  a  green  suit  and  leather  doublet.  Lord 
Wilmot,  in  cutting  off  his  hair,  which  he  did  with  a 
knife,  made  such  havoc  of  it  that  Richard  was  after- 
wards compelled  to  retouch  it  with  his  scissors.  Charles 
desired  him  to  burn  the  hair,  but  Richard  disobeyed 
the  command  and  retained  it  as  a  memorial  of  his 
sovereign  and  his  misfortunes.  Here  Charles  parted 
company  with  his  remaining  companions.  Scarcely 
half  an  hour  had  elapsed  when  Colonel  Ashenhurst, 
with  a  troop  of  horse,  paid  a  visit  to  the  house.  A 
little  beyond  Newport  the  fugitives  were  surrounded 
by  the  enemy.  Buckingham,  Talbot  and  Livingstone 


of  Gbarles  II.  175 

escaped,  but  Derby,  Cleveland,  Lauderdale  and  Gifford 
were  taken  prisoners.  Derby  was  beheaded  at  Bolton, 
and  Lauderdale  remained  a  prisoner  until  the  Restoration 
of  Charles  in  1660. 

While  these  events  were  passing  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, the  King,  carrying  a  wood  bill  in  his  hand,  had 
been  conducted  by  Richard  Penderell  through  the  back 
door  of  his  house  to  an  adjoining  wood  called  Spring 
Coppice.     In  this  place  Charles  remained  the  whole  of 
the  day  following  the  battle,  his  only  friends  being  the 
Penderells.      Richard    procured    him   the   luxury   of  a 
blanket,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  Frances  Yates,  his 
wife's  sister,  visited  Charles  with  a  supply  of  milk,  eggs 
and  butter.     Charles  was  alarmed  to  find  a  woman  was 
in  his  secret.     "  Good  woman,"  he  said,  "  can  you  be 
faithful  to  a  distressed  cavalier?"    He  was  much  relieved 
and  gratified  by  her  simple  answer :  "  Yes,  sir,  I  will 
rather  die  than  discover  you."     At  night  he  was  carried 
by  the  four  brothers  Penderell  to  Richard's  cottage ; 
their  old  mother,  overjoyed  to  see  the  King  in  safety, 
hastened  to  prepare  a  dish  of  eggs  and  bacon  for  His 
Majesty.     It  was  agreed  that   he   should   assume   the 
name  of  William  Jones,  and  that  he  had  come  into  the 
district  in  search  of  work.     Charles  believed  if  he  could 
cross  the  Severn  and  escape  into  Wales  it  would  be  his 
safest  course,  and  he  determined  to  proceed  that  night. 
Accordingly  Richard  Penderell  and  he  set  out  about 
nine  p.m.     They  had  proceeded  only  about  two  miles 
when    an    alarming    adventure    presented    itself.       In 
Charles's  own  words:  "Just  as  we  came  to  a  water  mill 
we  could  see  the  miller  sitting  at  the  mill  door,  he  being 
in  white  clothes,  and  it  was  a  very  dark  night.     He 
called    out :    '  Who   goes   there  ? '   on    which    Richard 
answered :    '  Neighbours    going    home.'       The    miller 
called   out :    '  If  you    be   neighbours   stand   or   I    will 
knock    you    down,'    on    which,    believing    there    was 
company  in  the  house,  the  fellow  bade  me  follow  him 
close,  and  he  ran  to  a  gate  that  went  up  a  dirty  lane  up 
a   hill,   and   opening   the   gate   called    out :    '  Rogues ! 


176  IRogal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

rogues ! '     Thereupon  some  men  came  out  of  the  mill 
after  us,  who,  I  believe,  were  soldiers  ;  so  Richard  and  I 
fell  a-running  up  the  lane  as  long  as  we  could  run,  it 
being  very  deep  and  very  dirty,  till  at  length  I  bade 
him  leap  over  a  hedge  and  lie  still  to  hear  if  anyone 
followed  us,  which  we  did  for  half  an  hour,  but  no  one 
came,  and  we  continued  our  journey."     It  was  nearly 
midnight  when  they  reached  the  residence  of  Mr.  Woolf 
a  Roman  Catholic  friend  of  Charles.     The  family  had 
retired   to  rest,  but  the  door  was  opened  by  Woolfs 
daughter.       Charles    was    affectionately    and     loyally 
welcomed,   but   Woolf  said   he   was   sorry  to  see  the 
King  in  that  part  of  the  country,  that  there  were  two 
companies  of  militia  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Maddeley, 
on  the  Severn  ;  that  the  bridges  and  ferry-boats  were 
so  closely  watched  that  it  would  be  unsafe  to  pass  the 
river,  and   further,  that  the  hiding-places   in  his   own 
house,  "  the  priest's  holes,"  as  they  were   called,   had 
recently  been  discovered  by  the  authorities  and  might 
again  be  searched  at  any  moment.     He  had  no  choice, 
therefore,  he  said,  but  to  lodge  the  King  in  his  barn,  and 
if  they   received   a  visit  from  the  troopers  the  straw 
offered   excellent    means   of  concealment.     The   King 
adopted  the  suggestion,  and  passed  the  second  day  of 
his  flight  in  this  barn.     At  night  he  and  Penderell  were 
visited  by  Mrs.  Woolf,  who  supplied  them  with  food, 
and  effectually  stained  the  King's  face  and  hands  with 
walnut    juice.        The    passage    of    the    Severn    being 
impracticable,  the  King  was  compelled  to  retrace  his 
steps  via  the  water  mill,  but  fearing  again  to  encounter 
the  miller  they  determined  to  ford  the  stream.     Penderell 
could  not  swim,  but  in  the  King's  words  :  "  I  told  him  I 
would  help  him  over,  upon  which  we  went  over  some 
closes  to  the  river-side,  and  I  entering  the  river  first  to 
see  whether  I  could  myself  go  over,  who  knew  how  to 
swim,  found  it  was  a  little  above  my  middle,  and  there- 
fore taking  Richard  by  the  hand  I  helped  him  over.'' 
It  was  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  they  reached 
the  wood  adjoining  Richard's  house.     Leaving  the  King 


1Ref0n  of  Cbarles  II.  177 

concealed  in  the  thickets,  Richard  proceeded  to  find 
some  fuel  and  to  obtain  information  respecting  soldiers 
in  the  district.  He  found  that  Colonel  Careless,  a  friend 
of  Charles  who  had  escaped  from  Worcester,  was  con- 
cealed in  the  neighbourhood.  Charles  sent  for  him,  and 
in  John's  cottage  they  breakfasted  together  on  bread 
and  cheese.  The  King's  feet  had  been  galled  by  his 
excessive  walking ;  Careless  having  pulled  off  his 
shoes  and  stockings,  they  were  found  full  of  stones  and 
gravel.  Old  Mrs.  Penderell  attended  to  him,  and 
washed  and  dried  what  was  required.  It  was  found 
unsafe  to  remain  any  longer  in  this  place,  and  Careless 
proposed  that  they  should  carry  with  them  some  bread 
and  cheese  and  small  beer,  and  conceal  themselves 
among  the  branches  of  some  of  the  oaks.  They 
selected  one  of  the  most  suitable,  and  took  up  their 
position  among  the  branches,  and  thus  the  King 
passed  the  third  day.  It  was  the  most  critical  situation 
in  which  he  had  yet  found  himself.  From  here  he  could 
at  times  see  the  soldiers  searching  in  all  directions  for 
him,  while  some  approached  so  near  that  he  heard  their 
conversation.  Overcome  with  fatigue  he  fell  asleep. 
With  the  King's  head  resting  on  his  lap  Careless 
watched  over  his  slumbers  and  prevented  his  falling. 
At  night,  when  the  soldiers  had  disappeared,  the  King 
returned  to  Penderell's  house.  The  priest's  hole  was 
an  apartment  of  the  house.  It  was  built  between  two 
walls,  and  had  two  separate  exits.  Before  retiring  to 
rest  in  this  apartment  the  King  had  an  interview  with 
Humphrey  Penderell.  He  had  been  paying  his  taxes 
that  day,  and  was  subjected  to  a  severe  examination  by 
the  authorities,  but  deaf  to  all  threats  and  temptations 
Humphrey  remained  true  to  the  last.  A  reward  of 
£1,000  was  offered  for  the  discovery  of  the  King;  and 
the  punishment  for  concealing  him  death  without  mercy. 
The  King  spent  the  fourth  day  in  the  garden  of 
Penderell's  house.  It  is  said  his  appetite  remained  in 
its  normal  condition.  Early  in  the  morning  before  he 
had  risen,  Careless,  accompanied  by  William  Penderell, 

VOL.    II.  M 


178  IRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

went  to  a   sheepfold   in  the  district,  and  striking  his 
dagger  into  one  of  the  fattest  of  the  animals,  William 
brought  it  home  on  his  back,  the  King  assisting  at  the 
cooking.     Sending  for  a  knife  and  a  trencher  he  cut  a 
portion  of  the  leg  into  slices,  and  laying  them  on  the 
frying-pan  with  some  butter,  applied  himself  seriously 
to    his    new    occupation.     When    Careless   afterwards 
joined  the  King's  little  Court  on  the  Continent  the  King 
reminded  him  of  this  morning's  work,  and  asked  the 
bystanders  which  of  the  two  should  be  considered  the 
master-cook.     The  Penderells  afterwards  offered  to  pay 
the  owner  of  the  sheep,  but  when  he  knew  it  was  for  a 
suffering  cavalier  he  refused  all  recompense  whatever. 
As  soon   as  night  set  in    the   King  wished   to   go   to 
Moseley,  three  miles  from  Wolverhampton,  where  Lord 
Wilmot    lay    concealed.     As    the   King  had   suffered 
severely  in  his  feet  Penderell's  mill-horse  was  put  at  his 
service  for  the  journey.     The    Penderells,  with  Yates, 
their  brother-in-law,  all  armed   with   pike   staves   and 
pistols,  formed  the  King's  body-guard.    Careless  parted 
from  the  King  here.     Two   of  the   brothers  marched 
before  him,  while  one  walked  on  each  side,  the  other 
three  following  a  short   distance   behind.     The  King, 
complaining  that  the  old  horse  went  heavily,  Humphrey 
replied :  "  Can  you  blame  the  horse,  my  liege,  that  he 
goes  heavily,  when  he  has  the  weight  of  three  kingdoms 
on   his   back  ? "     A  short  distance  from  Moseley  the 
party  separated,  Richard  and  John  remaining  with  the 
King.     In    the    field    that   had    been    selected   for   his 
meeting  with  Lord  Wilmot  the  King  found  Mr.  White- 
grave,  his  future  host,  and  one  Huddlestone,  a  Catholic 
priest  (afterwards  present  at  Charles's  death,  1685).     It 
was  not  till  they  arrived  at   Whitegrave's  house  that 
that  gentleman  knew  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  his 
sovereign.     Whitegrave,  describing  the  events  of  that 
night,  says : — "  I  saw  them  coming  up  the  long  walls,  of 
which  I  speedily  acquainted  Lord  Wilmot,  who  wished 
me  to  stay  at  the  orchard  door  and  show  the  King  the 
way  to  the  stairs,  where  Lord  Wilmot  expected  him. 


ot  Gbarles  II.  179 

When  he  came  to  the  door  with  the  Penderells  guarding 
him,  he  was  so  habited  like  one  of  them  that  I  could 
not  tell  which  was  he,  only  I  knew  all  the  rest.  I  could 
scarce  put  off  my  hat  to  him,  but  he,  discovering  the 
stairs  by  the  light,  immediately  went  to  them,  where  his 
lordship  expected  him  and  took  him  up  to  his  chamber. 
Then  I  took  the  Penderells  into  the  buttery  to  eat  and 
drink,  that  I  might  despatch  them  and  secure  the  house. 
But  ere  they  had  done  my  lord  sent  Huddlestone  down 
to  me  desiring  me  to  come  up,  which  accordingly  I  did ; 
and  coming  to  the  chamber  door,  His  Majesty  and  my 
lord  being  both  near  to  it  talking,  his  lordship  said  to 
me :  '  This  gentleman  under  disguise,  whom  I  have 
hitherto  concealed,  is  both  your  master  and  mine,  and 
the  master  to  us  all,  to  whom  we  all  owe  our  duty  and 
allegiance,'  and  so  I  kneeling  down,  the  King  gave  me 
his  hand  to  kiss,  and  bid  me  rise,  and  said  he  had 
received  from  my  lord  such  a  character  of  my  loyalty 
and  readiness  in  those  dangers  to  assist  him  and  his 
friends  that  he  would  never  be  unmindful  of  me  or 
mine  ;  and  the  next  question  was  :  '  Where  is  the  private 
place  my  lord  told  me  of?  '  which  being  shown  him  he 
went  into  it,  and  said  it  was  the  best  place  he  was  ever 
in.  Then  he,  returning  to  his  chamber,  sitting  down  by 
the  fireside,  we  pulled  off  his  shoes  and  stockings  and 
washed  his  feet,  which  were  sadly  blistered,  and  then 
pulled  off  likewise  his  apparel  and  shirt,  and  put  on  him 
one  of  Huddlestone's,  and  other  apparel  of  ours.  After 
he  had  refreshed  himself  a  little  by  eating  some  biscuits 
and  drinking  a  glass  of  wine  he  grew  very  cheerful,  and 
said  if  it  would  please  God  to  send  him  once  more  an 
army  of  10,000  good  and  loyal  soldiers  he  feared  not  to 
expel  all  those  rogues  out  of  his  kingdom." 

The  King  passed  two  entire  days  at  Whitegrave's. 
From  a  small  closet  over  the  porch  he  could  see  what 
was  passing  on  the  Wolverhampton  road,  and  more 
than  once  witnessed  his  own  straggling  and  wretched 
followers  begging  for  bread  at  the  gates.  He  was  thus 
passing  his  time  on  the  second  day  after  his  arrival, 


i8o  racial  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

when  he  suddenly  beheld  a  party  of  soldiers  approach- 
ing the  house,  and  he  at  once  retreated  to  his  hiding- 
place.  The  soldiers  drawing  up  before  the  gate, 
Whitegrave  went  boldly  out  to  meet  them.  They 
thought  he  was  at  the  battle  of  Worcester,  but  as  they 
found  they  were  mistaken  they  departed  without 
examining  the  premises.  The  following  day  Colonel 
Lane  from  Bentley,  a  staunch  Royalist,  came  in  person 
to  Moseley  to  conduct  the  King  to  his  next  abode.  He 
took  leave  of  his  host  and  Huddlestone  with  every 
expression  of  gratitude,  and  sent  for  the  hostess, 
Whitegrave's  mother,  to  come  and  take  leave  of  him. 
She  came  and  brought  some  raisins,  almonds  and  sweet- 
meats, which  she  presented  to  him,  whereof  he  was 
pleased  to  eat,  and  took  some  with  him.  "  We  then  all 
knelt  down  and  prayed  Almighty  God  to  bless,  prosper 
and  perserve  him.  He  was  pleased  to  salute  Mrs.  White- 
grave  and  thank  her  for  her  kind  entertainment,  and 
then  giving  his  hand  to  Huddlestone  and  myself  to  kiss, 
saying  if  it  pleased  God  to  restore  him  he  would  never 
be  unmindiul  of  us.  He  went  over  to  Colonel  Lane, 
and  having  got  on  horseback  we  knelt  and  kissed  his 
hand  again,  offering  all  our  prayers  for  his  safety  and 
preservation,  Huddlestone  putting  on  him  a  cloak  of 
his  to  keep  him  from  cold  and  wet. " 

The  same  night  he  arrived  at  Colonel  Lane's  house 
at  Bentley.  Lane  proposed  to  conduct  him  to  Bristol, 
where  he  had  many  supporters.  The  Colonel's  sister, 
Miss  Jane  Lane,  a  young  lady  of  considerable  personal 
accomplishments,  had  obtained  a  Parliamentary  pass  to 
convey  herself  and  some  friends  to  that  city.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  King  should  personate  a  servant,  and 
ride  double  before  the  young  lady  ;  four  friends  accom- 
panied. Next  morning  the  King  appeared  in  his  new 
dress  and  character,  and  his  name  was  changed  from 
William  Jones  to  William  Jackson.  The  cavalcade 
being  ready  to  start,  old  Mrs.  Lane,  in  ignorance  of  the 
King's  presence,  came  down  to  bid  her  daughter  fare- 
well. Lane  made  a  sign  to  the  King  that  he  ought  to 


fRefsn  of  Cbarles  II.  181 

offer  his  sister  his  hand  and  assist  her  to  mount  This 
he  did,  with  his  hat  in  his  hand,  but  with  so  much 
awkwardness  that  it  attracted  the  old  lady's  attention. 
Turning  to  Lane,  she  said,  with  a  smile :  "  What  a 
goodly  horseman  my  daughter  has  got  to  ride  before 
her."  The  party  then  set  out,  Lord  Wilmot  riding 
before  them,  with  a  hawk  in  his  fist  and  spaniels  by  his 
side,  pretending  to  be  a  sportsman.  At  night  they 
rested  at  Mr.  Tomb's  at  Longmaston,  four  miles  from 
Stratford,  the  King  in  order  to  keep  up  his  character 
kept  the  kitchen.  In  the  course  of  the  evening,  the 
cook,  who  was  preparing  supper,  desired  the  King  to 
wind  up  the  jack.  He  performed  this  awkwardly,  which 
roused  the  woman,  who  said  :  "  What  countryman  are 
you,  that  you  don't  know  how  to  wind  up  a  jack  ? " 
The  King  said  :  "  I  am  a  poor  tenant's  son  of  Colonel 
Lane  in  Staffordshire  ;  we  seldom  have  roast-meat,  but 
when  we  have  we  don't  make  use  of  a  jack."  The  party 
arrived  next  night  at  the  Crown  Inn,  Cirencester,  and 
the  next  night  they  arrived  at  Abbotsleigh,  the  house 
of  Miss  Lane's  relative,  Miss  Norton.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  King  had  a  narrow  escape  from  discovery.  He 
says :  "  I  rose  pretty  early  and  went  to  the  buttery 
hatch  to  get  breakfast,  where  I  found  Pope  and  other 
men  in  the  room,  and  we  all  fell  to  eating  bread  and 
butter,  and  Pope  gave  us  good  ale  and  sack.  One  of 
these  men  gave  such  a  minute  account  of  the  battle  of 
Worcester  that  I  thought  he  must  be  one  of  Cromwell's 
men.  I  found,  however,  that  he  had  been  in  my  own 
regiment  of  Guards.  I  asked  him  what  kind  of  man  1 
was,  when  he  described  exactly  both  my  clothes  and 
my  horse,  also  that  the  King  was  three  fingers  taller 
than  I.  Upon  which  I  made  haste  out  of  the  buttery  in 
case  he  should  indeed  know  me." 

The  next  morning  the  King,  seated  on  horseback  in 
front  of  his  fair  companion,  Miss  Lane,  set  out  on  his 
journey  to  Trent.  The  journey  occupied  two  days,  the 
first  night  being  spent  at  Castle  Gary.  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Wyndham  met  the  King  a  short  distance  from 


1 82  IRopal  tbouse  of  Stuart 

Trent  in  order  to  bid  him  welcome.  Next  day  Miss 
Lane  took  leave  of  him  and  returned  home.  Colonel 
Wyndham's  mother  also  lived  at  Trent  On  the  King 
being  presented  to  the  venerable  lady,  she  said :  "  I 
account  it  my  highest  honour  that  I  had  three  sons  and 
one  grandchild  slain  in  defence  of  your  father,  and  that 
in  my  old  age  I  should  be  instrumental  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  yourself."  She  insisted  on  giving  up  her  sleeping 
apartment  to  the  King,  there  being  beside  it  a  small 
secret  closet  well  adapted  for  purposes  of  concealment. 
Here  the  King  remained  undisturbed  several  days ;  on 
one  of  these  days  the  sound  of  bonfires  and  bells  reached 
Trent,  and  on  the  King  inquiring  the  cause  was  informed 
that  it  was  on  account  of  the  tidings  of  his  own  death 
which  had  been  brought  by  some  of  the  soldiers.  "  Alas  ! 
poor  people,"  was  his  only  reply.  From  this  place  he 
went  to  Charmouth,  riding  double  before  Juliana 
Coningsby,  a  niece  of  Lady  Wyndham ;  Colonel 
Wyndham  accompanied  them.  At  Charmouth  he  was 
to  embark  on  22nd  September  for  France,  but  the 
contractor  for  the  journey  failed  to  turn  up.  Charles 
and  Lord  Wilmot  sat  up  all  night,  but  in  vain,  while 
Wyndham  and  his  servant  waited  on  the  beach.  It 
is  said !  that  in  the  inn  at  Charmouth  the  King  was 
concealed  in  the  chimney  when  soldiers  searched  the 
house.  Apprehensive  of  treachery  it  was  arranged  that 
the  King,  Wyndham  and  Juliana  Coningsby  should 
retreat  to  Bridport,2  while  Wilmot  remained  at  the  inn 
to  inquire  about  the  disappointment.  It  transpired 
that  the  contractor's  wife  was  the  cause.  He  had  kept 
this  voyage  in  secret  from  her  until  the  last  moment, 
and  meantime  she  had  seen  a  proclamation  threatening 
instant  death  to  whoever  would  harbour  the  King.  She 
at  length  secured  her  husband's  safety  by  locking  him 
up  in  a  room.  The  King  then  proceeded  with  his 
escort  to  Bridport.  That  place  was  full  of  Cromwell's 
soldiers,  and  it  was  arranged  to  return  to  Trent. 

About  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  i5th  October 
1  Cassell's  Gazetteer.  "  Dorsetshire. 


IReign  of  Cbarles  II.  183 

the  party  set  out  on  horseback  for  Shoreham,  where  it 
had  been  decided  that  the  King  should  embark.  He 
and  Wilmot  got  into  the  vessel  by  a  ladder  ;  the 
King  was  in  ignorance  that  Tattersal,  the  captain  of  the 
vessel,  had  recognised  his  features  until  he  fell  down  on 
his  knees  and  expressed  his  delight  at  seeing  the  King 
in  safety,  and  that  he  would  risk  all  he  had  in  the 
world  to  land  His  Majesty  safely  on  the  opposite  coast. 
About  seven  a.m.  they  cleared  out  of  port  ;  on  the  i6th 
October  they  arrived  at  Normandy,  where  they  landed 
and  proceeded  to  Rouen,  where  they  despatched  a 
message  to  the  French  King.  Having  got  a  change 
of  raiment  at  Rouen,  the  travellers  set  out  for  Paris. 
On  the  road  they  were  met  by  the  Queen-mother,  and 
the  Dukes  of  York  and  Orleans,  who,  with  a  suitable 
retinue,  and  with  every  expression  of  joy,  conducted 
them  to  Paris. 

The  five  members  of  the  Penderell  family  all  survived 
the  Restoration,  and  were  handsomely  treated  by  the 
King,  and  their  services  publicly  acknowledged.  On 
Richard  and  his  heirs  for  ever,  and  William  and  his 
heirs,  £500  per  annum  to  each  family.  On  Humphrey, 
George  and  John,  and  their  heirs,  100  merks  per  annum  ; 
on  Elizabeth  Yates,  their  sister,  and  her  descendants, 
£50  per  annum.  Miss  Jane  Lane,  accompanied  by 
her  brother,  Colonel  Lane,  arrived  in  France  about  six 
weeks  after  the  landing  of  the  King.  Their  lives  were  not 
considered  safe  in  England.  At  Paris  Miss  Lane  was 
regarded  as  a  heroine.  Within  a  short  distance  from 
the  French  capital  she  had  been  met  by  the  King 
himself,  his  mother,  Henrietta  Maria,  and  her  sons,  the 
Dukes  of  York  and  Gloucester.  Charles  warmly  ex- 
tended his  hand,  and  his  first  words  were :  "  Welcome 
my  life ! "  At  the  Restoration  Charles  settled  on  her 
.£1,000  per  annum,  and  on  her  brother  half  that  annual 
sum.  It  is  said  that  he  corresponded  with  her  in  the 
most  familiar  terms,  and  among  other  memorials 
presented  her  with  his  portrait  and  a  gold  watch.  On 
Colonel  Wyndham  and  his  heirs  he  bestowed  £600  per 


1 84  IRopal  ffoouse  of  Stuart 

annum,  and  on  his  widow,  with  a  reversion  to  her  two 
daughters,  £400  per  annum  ;  pension  to  Colonel  Philips 
of  the  same  amount  ;  on  Charles  Gifford,  £300  ;  on 
Thomas  Whitegrave  and  Juliana  Coningsby,  £200  per 
annum.  Charles,  after  his  escape,  resided  three  years  in 
France. 

On  3rd  September,  165 1,  after  the  battle  of  Worcester, 
Cromwell  took  Colonel  Lindsay,  one  of  his  officers,  to 
a  wood  not  far  from  the  army,  and  bade  him  alight  and 
follow  him  into  the  wood  and  to  take  particular  notice 
of  what  he  saw  and  heard.  After  they  had  gone  some 
way  into  the  wood  Lindsay  began  to  turn  pale,  and  to 
be  seized  with  terror  from  some  unknown  cause.  They 
had  not  gone  twenty  yards  further  when  Lindsay  stood 
still,  and  cried  out  that  he  was  seized  with  such  un- 
accountable terror  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  go 
further.  Cromwell  called  him  a  faint-hearted  fool,  and 
bid  him  stand  there  and  observe,  or  be  witness ;  and 
advancing  some  distance  from  him  he  met  with  a  great 
elderly  man  with  a  roll  of  parchment  in  his  hand, 
who  delivered  it  to  Cromwell,  who  eagerly  perused  it. 
Lindsay  heard  several  hard  words  between  them  ; 
particularly  Cromwell  said  :  "  This  is  but  for  seven 
years ;  I  was  to  have  it  for  one-and-twenty,  and  it 
must,  and  shall  be  so."  The  other  told  him  positively 
it  could  not  be  above  seven,  on  which  Cromwell  cried 
with  fierceness  it  should,  however,  be  for  fourteen  years. 
The  other  peremptorily  declared  it  could  not  be  for  any 
longer  time ;  and  if  he  would  not  take  it,  there  were 
others  who  would  do  so.  Upon  which  Cromwell  took 
the  parchment,  and  returning  to  Lindsay  with  great  joy 
in  his  countenance,  cried :  "  Now,  Lindsay,  the  battle  is 
our  own  (Worcester),  I  long  to  be  engaged."  Returning 
from  the  wood  to  the  army,  Lindsay,  it  would  appear, 
deserted,  and  found  his  way  to  the  house  of  a  friend, 
Mr.  Thoroughgood  of  Norfolk.  He  wanted  protection 
from  Cromwell's  soldiers,  who  were  after  him;  Cromwell, 
he  said,  had  made  a  league  with  the  devil,  and  the  devil 
would  have  him  in  due  time.  Cromwell  would  certainly 


of  Cbarles  II.  185 

die  that  day  seven  years  after  the  battle  was  fought. 
Walker,  the  historian  of  the  Independents,  says :  "  It 
was  believed  that  Cromwell  on  the  morning  of  the 
battle  of  Worcester  had  a  conference  personally  with 
the  devil,  with  whom  he  made  a  contract,  that  to  have 
his  will  then,  and  in  all  things  else  for  seven  years,  he 
should  after  that  time  have  him  at  his  command  to  do 
at  his  pleasure  both  with  his  soul  and  body.  Whatever 
may  be  the  truth  of  this  legend,  Cromwell  died  exactly 
seven  years  after  his  victory  at  Worcester.1 
1  Lives  of  the  Lindsavs. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Charles  arrives  in  France — Parliament  and  Cromwell  quarrel — 
Barebone's  Parliament — Cromwell's  Chaplain  and  the  Lady's 
maid — Charles's  Proclamation  from  Paris  —  Hyde  made 
Chancellor  of  England — Restoration  of  Charles  and  Proclama- 
tion— He  opens  Parliament— Prince  James  and  Anne  Hyde — 
Cromwell's  body  hanged  at  Tyburn— The  King  kidnaps 
Argyll  in  Whitehall— Trial  and  execution  of  Argyll— King's 
Coronation  at  Westminster — The  Scottish  Regalia — Burning 
the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant — Restoration  of  the  bishops 
— Presbyterian  magistrates  disqualified— 2,000  Clergy  expelled 
from  Benefices — Marriage  of  the  King — Sale  of  Dunkirk — 
Anti-Presbyterian  Parliament,  Edinburgh— Anti-Presbyterian 
General  Assembly — Execution  of  Warriston — Impeachment 
of  Lord  Clarendon — King's  immorality — King's  speech 
dissolving  Parliament — King  and  Queen  open  following 
Parliament — Battle  of  Rullion  Green — Buckingham  Con- 
spiracy— Clarendon  to  resign  Great  Seal — He  escapes  to  the 
Continent. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  II. 

A.D.    1649 — 1685. 

CHARLES  was  in  great  straits  for  want  of  money,  and 
continued  to  be  so  all  his  life.  His  devoted  friend  and 
companion,  Hyde,  relieved  him  of  this  responsibility  so 
long  as  he  was  with  him. 

Hyde,  in  a  letter  to  Sir  Richard  Brown,  August, 
1652,  says: — "A  sum  lately  received  at  Paris  for  the 
King  is  all  he  hath  received  since  he  came  hither,  and 
doth  not  enable  his  cooks  and  backstairsmen  to  go  on 
providing  his  diet ;  they  protest  they  can  undertake  it 
no  longer."  In  the  end  of  the  year  the  finance  minister 
writes  :  "The  King  is  reduced  to  greater  distress  than 
you  can  believe  or  imagine  "  ;  and  in  the  summer  of  the 
following  year  he  thus  described  the  state  of  the 

186 


CHARLES   II. 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  at  Dawney  Court,  Bucks.} 


To  face  p.  187 


IReign  ot  Cbarles  II.  187 

Treasury  :  "  I  do  not  know  that  any  man  is  yet  dead  for 
the  want  of  bread,  which  really  I  wonder  at ;  I  am  sure 
the  King  himself  owes  for  all  he  has  eaten  since  April  ; 
and  I  am  not  acquainted  with  one  servant  of  his  who 
hath  a  pistole  in  his  pocket "  (a  coin  of  the  period,  value 
1 6s.  sterling).  "  Five  or  six  of  us  eat  together  one  meal 
a  day  for  a  pistole  a  week  ;  but  all  of  us  owe,  for  God 
knows  how  many  weeks,  to  the  poor  woman  who  feeds 
us."  To  another  correspondent  Hyde  wrote  :  "  At  this 
time  I  have  neither  clothes  nor  fire  to  preserve  me  from 
the  sharpness  of  the  season.  I  am  so  cold  that  I  am 
scarcely  able  to  hold  my  pen,  and  have  not  three  sous 
in  the  world  to  buy  a  faggot  :  I  have  not  been  master 
of  a  crown  these  many  months,  am  cold  for  want  of 
clothes  and  fire  ;  and  owe  for  all  the  food  I  have  eaten 
these  three  months,  and  to  a  poor  woman  who  is  no 
longer  able  to  trust;  and  my  poor  family  at  Antwerp 
are  in  as  sad  a  state  as  I  am  ;  I  owe  so  much  money 
here  to  all  sorts  of  people  that  I  would  not  wonder  if  I 
were  cast  into  prison  to-morrow  ;  and  if  the  King  should 
remove,  as  I  should  hope  he  will  shortly  have  occasion 
to  do,  and  not  enable  me  to  pay  the  debt  I  have 
contracted  for  his  service,  I  must  look  for  that  portion 
and  starve  there." ' 

The  privations  of  Clarendon  we  cannot  realise  to 
their  full  extent.  The  flight  of  the  King  from  Worcester, 
the  condition  of  Scotland,  and  Cromwell's  firm  grasp  of 
the  Scottish  kingdom,  made  Charles's  position  for  the. 
moment  hopeless.  To  send  him  money,  or  even  to 
communicate  with  him,  would  have  been  an  act  of 
treason  punishable  in  that  age  with  death.  There  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  live  on  the  bounty  of  his  friends, 
but  Charles's  extravagance  far  exceeded  that  bounty, 
and  compelled  Clarendon  to  seek  credit  from  those  who 
would  give  it.  Clarendon  was  living  in  hope  that 
Charles  would  one  day  be  restored  to  his  kingdom,  and 
he  would  then  reap  the  reward  of  his  heroic  exertions 
to  provide  for  him  in  his  exile.  Clarendon's  hopes  were 
1  Campbell's  Lives. 


1  88  Ifto^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


in  1658  realised,  but  the  ingratitude  of  Charles,  as  the 
narrative  hereafter  will  show,  was  of  the  basest  and 
most  contemptible  kind. 

Cromwell,  on  2Oth  April,  1653,  dissolved  the  "  Rump  " 
Parliament.1  Cromwell  and  Parliament  quarrelled,  and 
proposals  for  a  reconstruction  considered,  but  Cromwell 
and  the  army  disapproved  of  them.  The  incident  that 
follows  was  of  a  highly  amusing  character.  It  is  recorded 
that  one  day,during  the  sittings  at  Westminster,  Cromwell 
and  some  of  his  officers  entered  the  House  of  Commons 
in  a  threatening  manner,  and  Cromwell,  addressing  the 
members,  said  :  "  You  have  imposed  upon  the  people  too 
long,  and  grow  rich  under  colour  of  reforming  the 
Government  ;  you  should  sit  here  for  the  public  good, 
but  you  think  of  nothing  but  your  own  interest  ;  you 
have  been  put  into  this  place  to  establish  a  Common- 
wealth, and  you  undermine  the  very  foundations  of  it 
by  appropriating  all  things  to  yourselves  ;  you  have 
hitherto  deceived  me,  but  our  eyes  are  open  and  we  are 
resolved  to  be  your  tools  no  longer  ;  be  gone  quickly  ! 
and  since  you  fill  up  this  place  so  unworthily,  make 
way  for  honester  men  than  yourselves."  The  House 
was  silent.  One  member  then  said  "  it  was  not  justice 
to  run  down  the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty." 
Cromwell  stepped  forward  and  laid  hold  of  three  or 
four  of  them  by  the  cloaks,  saying:  "  You  are  a  knave"; 
to  another,  "  You  are  a  sot";  to  another,  "  You  are  a  lewd 
fellow  "  ;  to  another,  "  You  are  a  faithless  member,"  and 
then  drove  them  all  out.  The  Speaker  sitting  still, 
Cromwell  pulled  him  out  of  his  chair,  which  done,  he 
declared  Parliament  dissolved,  locked  the  doors,  and 
put  up  a  bill,  "This  House  is  to  let."  The  Council 
of  State  was  dissolved  as  well  as  Parliament  ;  and  thus 
Cromwell  became  not  only  supreme,  but  the  creator  of 
a  Government.2 

1  The  "  Rump  "  Parliament  was  so  hated  and  jeered  at,  that  the 
butcher-boys  would  say  :  "  Will  you  buy  any  Parliament  rumps 
or  kidneys  ?  "  and  it  was  a  common  thing  to  see  children  make 
fire  on  the  streets  and  burn  rumps.  —  (Pepys.) 

2  D'Orleans'  History  of  the  Revolution  in  England. 


tRdan  of  Cbarles  II.  189 

As  a  result  of  the  defeat  of  the  Scots  at  Worcester, 
Scotland  became  for  the  time  subject  to  Cromwell's 
Parliament,  and  eight  commissioners  were  appointed 
to  attend  to  Scotland  and  obey  the  directions  of  the 
Protector.  A  formal  declaration  was  drawn  up  and 
ratified,  in  which  the  policy  of  the  commission  was 
defined.  The  Gospel  was  to  be  preached  and  liberty  of 
worship  secured  to  the  whole  people ;  Scotland  and 
England  were  to  be  one  Commonwealth,  and  Scotland 
was  to  pay  an  indemnity  for  the  late  wars.  The  Estates 
of  those  who  had  assisted  Charles  II.  were  to  be 
confiscated  ;  and  a  special  inducement  was  offered  to 
all  vassals  who  would  do  homage  to  the  new  authority. 
On  1 5th  January,  i652,these  commissioners  took  up  their 
quarters  at  Dalkeith  Palace  and  proceeded  to  carry  out 
their  instructions.  Their  first  step  was  to  issue  a 
proclamation  annulling  the  authority  of  Charles  and  to 
order  the  destruction  of  the  insignia  of  Royalty  in  the 
public  places  in  Edinburgh.  An  assessment  was 
imposed  in  every  county  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
English  troops,  and  burghs  and  counties  were  to  send 
representatives  to  assent  to  the  union  of  the  kingdoms 
or  a  commonwealth.  These  were  duly  appointed,  and 
in  April,  1653,  went  to  London  to  discuss  the  terms  of 
union.  They  remained  six  months  there,  but  evidently 
accomplished  nothing.  On  2Oth  April  the  Long 
Parliament  was  dissolved  or  expelled,  in  the  manner  we 
have  just  recited.  On  the  meeting  of  what  was  called 
Barebone's  Parliament  in  July,  1653,  the  consideration 
of  the  union  was  again  resumed.  This  assembly  was 
by  the  populace  nicknamed  from  one  of  its  most 
conspicuous  members. 

Barebone's  Parliament,  after  exposing  itself  during  a 
short  time  to  the  public  contempt,  surrendered  back  to 
the  General  the  powers  which  it  had  received  from  him, 
and  left  him  at  liberty  to  frame  a  plan  of  government. 
One  of  the  first  resolutions  adopted  by  Barebone's  Parlia- 
ment, the  most  intensely  Puritanical  of  all  our  political 
assemblies,  was  that  no  person  should  be  admitted  into 


i  go  1Ro£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

the  public  service  till  the  House  should  be  satisfied  of 
his  real  godliness.1  Out  of  its  145  members  only  five 
were  Scotsmen,  and  these  were  Cromwell's  nominees.  On 
1 2th  December,  1653,  Barebone's  Parliament  came  to 
an  end,  and  on  i6th  December  Cromwell  was  made 
Lord  Protector. 

This  was  the  Parliament  composed  of  Puritans, 
and  named  after  a  Mr.  Barebone,  leather  merchant, 
Fleet  Street,  London,  one  of  its  members.  Its  first 
meeting  was  held  on  4th  July,  1653,  when  Cromwell 
made  a  long  speech.2  According  to  Carlyle  :  "  Fearful 
impediments  lay  against  it ;  some  10,000,000  of  men, 
the  whole  world,  and  what  we  call  the  devil  and  his 
angels."  It  lasted  five  months  and  a  few  days, 
when  it  was  dissolved,  surreptitiously,  it  is  said,  before 
the  Gospel  party  assembled,  the  motion  put  being:  "  That 
the  sitting  of  this  Parliament  any  longer,  as  now  con- 
stituted, will  not  be  for  the  good  of  the  Commonwealth." 
Whereupon  the  House  rose,  and  the  members  retired 
into  private  life. 

There  was  evidently  a  movement  going  on,  headed  by 
Glencairn  and  Argyll,  for  the  restoration  of  Charles,  and 
this  was  made  clear  by  the  arrival  of  General  Middleton 
in  February,  1654,  with  a  commission  from  the  exiled 
King.  Monck  announced  the  appointment  of  Cromwell 
as  Protector,  and  that  in  future  there  would  be  but  one 
Parliament  for  the  three  kingdoms — Scotland  to  be 
represented  by  thirty  members.  This  Parliament  met 
on  3rd  September,  1654,  and  sat  for  four  months,  when 
it  was  dissolved,  but  it  had  more  pressing  questions  to 
consider  than  that  of  the  Union.  The  next  Parliament 
sat  in  September,  1656.  In  the  interval  a  Council  of 
State  was  appointed  for  Scotland  in  place  of  the  eight 
commissioners  hitherto  doing  duty.  It  was  to  consist 
of  eight  members,  with  a  president  and  chief  clerk  ; 
seven  commissioners  were  also  appointed  to  attend  to 
the  administration  of  justice.  This  council  arrived  in 
Edinburgh  on  I2th  September,  1655. 

1  Macaulay.  -  Carlyle,  vol.  ii.,  p.  336. 


1Ref0n  of  Cbarles  II.  191 

In  1654  Charles  went  to  Cologne,  where  he  resided 
for  two  or  three  years,  and  where  he  was  treated  with 
magnificence.  It  is  said  his  allowance  for  the  main- 
tenance of  his  Court  at  the  time  was  £500  per  month. 
He  then  went  to  Bruges.  So  closely  was  he  watched 
by  the  spies  of  Cromwell  that  on  one  occasion,  when  he 
paid  a  secret  visit  to  his  sister  at  The  Hague,  a  messenger 
of  Cromwell,  friendly  to  him,  arrived  at  his  hotel,  to  ask 
him  to  leave  Dutch  territory  instantly  as  Cromwell  had 
arranged  with  the  Dutch  authorities  for  his  immediate 
capture.1 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  probably  no  other  member  of 
the  House  of  Stuart  encountered  such  difficulties  in 
obtaining  a  wife.  The  first  lady  Charles  fell  in  love 
with  was  Frances  Cromwell,  youngest  daughter  of  the 
Protector,  a  lady  of  whom  it  is  said  no  private  gentle- 
woman had  ever  received  so  many  splendid  offers  of 
marriage.  Charles's  consent  was  given  to  marry  the 
lady  ;  and  the  lady  and  her  mother  consented,  but  the 
difficulty  was  to  obtain  the  consent  of  Cromwell.  Lord 
Broghill  was  the  mediator,  and  he  discussed  the  matter 
with  the  Protector.  Having  obtained  an  interview, 
Lord  Broghill  told  him  of  the  report  in  the  city  that  he 
was  about  to  marry  his  daughter  Frances  to  Charles. 
Cromwell :  "  And  what  do  the  fools  say  about  it  ? " 
Broghill :  "  Everyone  seems  pleased  with  it,  and  believes, 
were  he  able  to  accomplish  it,  that  it  would  be  the  most 
politic  step  he  could  take."  Cromwell :  "  And  you,  do 
you  believe  it  too  ? "  Broghill :  "  It  is  the  wisest  measure 
you  could  adopt  in  order  to  secure  yourself."  Cromwell 
(walking  up  and  down  the  room) :  "  Your  reasons  for 
advising  such  a  step  ?  "  Broghill  represented  how  little 
the  Protector  could  trust  his  own  party,  that  the  very 
persons  who  had  assisted  him  to  rise  had  become  the 
most  anxious  for  his  downfall ;  that  he  might  now 
make  his  own  terms,  that  the  Royalists  would  eagerly 
join  with  him,  that  probably  he  would  have  grand- 
children who  would  be  heirs  to  the  throne,  whereas,  on 
1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


i92  1Ro\?al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

the  other  side,  he  could  never  expect  to  continue  the 
succession  in  his  own  family.  Cromwell :  "  No ;  the 
King  would  never  forgive  me  the  death  of  his  father." 
Broghill  suggested  he  should  find  a  mediator  who  would 
sound  Charles.  Cromwell :  "  No ;  he  could  never 
forgive  me ;  besides,  he  is  so  damnably  debauched  he 
cannot  be  trusted."  And  so  the  proposal  fell  to  the 
ground.  A  notable  instance  of  Cromwell's  promptitude 
is  recorded  at  this  time.  Jerry  White,  the  Protector's 
chaplain,  had  fallen  in  love  with  the  Lady  Frances, 
when  one  day  a  spy  informed  the  Protector  that  the 
Lady  Frances  and  her  spiritual  adviser  were  together 
in  a  private  apartment.  Cromwell  hastened  to  the  spot 
and  found  Jerry  on  his  knees  kissing  his  daughter's 
hand.  Demanding  the  meaning  of  this,  Jerry,  with 
great  presence  of  mind,  said  :  "  I  have  a  long  time 
courted  that  young  lady  there,  my  lady's  maid,  and 
cannot  prevail.  I  was,  therefore,  humbly  praying  her 
ladyship  to  intercede  for  me."  The  Protector  turned  to 
the  maid  and  demanded  the  reason  of  her  obduracy. 
She  said,  with  a  curtsey,  that  if  Mr  White  intended  the 
honour  she  had  no  wish  to  oppose  him.  The  Protector 
instantly  sent  for  a  clergyman,  and  as  it  was  too  late  for 
Jerry  to  recede,  they  were  married  on  the  spot.  The 
narrator  adds :  "  The  Protector,  however,  sweetened  the 
dose  by  presenting  the  bride  with  a  dowry  of  .£500." 
Charles  having  been  disappointed  with  Cromwell's 
daughter,  next  made  love  to  the  niece  of  Cardinal 
Mazarin,  said  to  have  been  the  richest  heiress  and  most 
beautiful  woman  in  France.  The  Cardinal,  who  had  no 
belief  in  the  Restoration,  refused  his  consent,  and  the 
matter  fell  through.  When  Charles  was  restored,  the 
Cardinal  approached  him  regarding  the  marriage,  and 
gave  his  consent,  offering  a  princely  dowry,  but  Charles 
refused  to  entertain  the  offer.  Charles  next  fell  in  love 
with  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  a 
match  which  Henrietta  Maria  warmly  supported,  but 
all  of  a  sudden  the  young  lady  began  to  be  cool  and 
indifferent  to  Charles,  and  an  explanation  being  asked, 


of  Gbarles  II.  193 

she  said  she  was  being  courted  by  the  Emperor,  and 
that  she  regarded  Charles  as  an  object  of  pity.  So 
Charles  again  was  disappointed.  The  Emperor, 
however,  never  married  her.  Charles  next  made  love 
to  Henrietta,  daughter  of  the  Princess  Dowager  of 
Orange.  This  match  also  fell  through,  Charles  inform- 
ing Lord  Clarendon  that  he  had  been  basely  treated  by 
the  Princess.  He  next  proposed  to  a  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Lorraine,  a  lady  of  fortune,  but  the  difficulties 
in  this  case  also  proved  insurmountable.  This  period 
may  be  dated  1655. 

Plunged  in  the  gaieties  of  Paris,  Charles  forgot  the 
misfortunes  of  his  family  and  lost  sight  of  his  kingdom  ; 
content  if,  from  any  source,  he  could  be  supplied  with 
money  to  defray  his  personal  expenses.  Hyde  gave  him 
excellent  advice,  which  he  received  with  good  humour 
and  neglected.  All  that  he  would  promise  as  to 
business  was  that  a  part  of  every  Friday  he  would 
employ  in  reading  and  answering  letters  on  public 
affairs.  The  number  and  publicity  of  his  answers  at 
last  caused  general  scandal  among  his  followers,  and 
was  reported  to  his  disadvantage  in  England.  His 
character  particularly  suffered  from  the  utter  worth- 
lessness  of  Lucy  Walters,  who,  by  her  arts,  had  won 
his  affections,  and  exercised  a  powerful  control  over 
his  temper.  She  was  now  the  mother  of  a  child  she 
called  his — afterwards  the  heroic  Duke  of  Mon- 
mouth,  born  1649.  Hyde  interposed  to  dissolve  this 
discreditable  connection,  and  prevailed  upon  him  to 
separate  from  her,  but  was  obliged  to  give  her  an 
annuity  of  £400  per  annum,  and  send  her  to  her 
native  country.1 

A  proclamation  of  a  startling  nature  was  in  1654 
issued  by  Charles  from  Paris.  It  was  in  the  following 
terms  : — 

CHARLES  THE  SECOND,  ETC.— Whereas  it  is  apparent 
to  all  rational  and  unbiassed  men  that  a  certain 

1  Campbell's  Lives. 
VOL.    II.  N 


194  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

mechanic  fellow,  by  name  Oliver  Cromwell,  hath  by 
most  wicked  and  accursed  ways  and  means,  against 
all  laws  human  and  divine,  most  tyrannically  and 
traitorously  usurped  the  supreme  power  over  the 
kingdom,  to  the  enslaving  and  ruining  the  persons 
and  estates  of  our  free  subjects  therein,  after  he  had 
inhumanly  and  barbarously  butchered  our  dear  father 
of  sacred  memory,  his  just  and  lawful  sovereign. 
These  are  therefore  in  our  name  to  give  free  leave 
and  liberty  to  any  man  whomsoever  within  our  three 
kingdoms,  by  pistol,  sword,  or  poison,  or  any  other 
means,  to  destroy  Oliver  Cromwell,  wherein  they  will 
do  an  act  acceptable  to  God  and  good  men  by  cutting 
off  so  detestable  a  villain  from  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
and  whosoever,  whether  soldier  or  other,  who  shall  be 
instrumental  in  so  signal  a  piece  of  service  both  to 
God  and  to  his  King  and  country,  we  do  promise,  on 
the  faith  of  a  Christian  King,  as  a  reward  for  his 
good  service  to  give  him  and  his  heirs  for  ever  ^500 
per  annum  from  land,  or  the  full  sum  in  money,  or 
such  proportion  may  be  purchased  from  the  owners ; 
and  also  the  honour  of  knighthood  to  him  and  his 
heirs.  If  he  be  a  soldier  in  the  army  we  shall  give 
him  a  colonel's  place,  and  such  honourable  employment 
where  he  may  be  capable  of  attaining  farther  preferment 
according  to  his  merit. 

Given  at  Paris  the  3rd  day  of  May,  I654.1. 

Then  follows  a  pardon  to  all  who  shall  disown 
Cromwell  within  six  days,  excepting  William  Lenthall, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons ;  John  Bradshaw, 
President  of  "the  Bloody  Court,  called  the  High 
Court  of  Justice  "  ;  and  Sir  Arthur  Hazelrig  (Cromwell's 
instruments  in  executing  Charles  I.). 

This  year  the  King  and  Hyde  both  left  Paris.     While 

the  King  was  still  journeying  at  Spa,  in  the  society  of 

his  sister,  the  Princess  of  Orange,  Hyde  spent  his  time 

with  his  family  at  Breda.     In  November  the  Court  was 

1  Thurloe  State  Papers. 


of  Cbarles  II.  195 

fixed  to  be  at  Cologne,  Hyde  to  be  Prime  Minister. 
The  Princess  had  been  very  kind  to  Hyde's  family, 
provided  a  house  for  them  at  Breda  free  of  charge, 
and  had  taken  much  notice  of  his  daughter  Anne,  said 
to  have  been  a  sprightly  girl  reaching  woman's  estate. 
By  the  death  of  a  maid  of  honour  in  the  household  of 
the  Princess,  Hyde's  daughter  was  offered,  and  accepted, 
the  post,  and  the  future  Duchess  of  York,  and  mother 
of  Queen  Mary  and  Queen  Anne,  entered  on  duty  on 
the  staff  of  the  Princess. 

It  is  recorded  that  in  April,  1656,  Charles  proceeded 
from  Cologne  to  Bruges  in  consequence  of  a  negotia- 
tion opened  with  him  when  Cromwell  engaged  in 
hostilities  against  Spain.  Hyde  was  left  behind  to 
settle  the  King's  debts.  This  was  his  first  despatch 
to  the  King  : — "  Your  family  here  is  in  an  ill  condition 
and  your  debts  great ;  much  owing  by  you  and  by 
those  to  whom  you  are  indebted ;  and  yet,  that  the 
State  may  not  appear  more  dismal  and  irreparable  to 
you  than  in  truth  it  is,  give  me  leave  to  tell  you  that 
4,000  pistoles  would  discharge  the  whole  seven  months' 
board  wages,  which  are  due,  pay  all  you  owe  here  .  . 
and  honestly  remove  and  bring  your  family  to  you."  ^ 
Hyde  could  not  raise  this  sum,  and  four  months  after, 
still  remaining  himself  in  pawn,  he  wrote  the  King: — 
"  I  confess  I  do  not  think  that  the  payment  of  what 
is  due  at  Cologne  is  of  the  most  importance  to  you, 
and  is  to  be  such  an  ingredient  in  the  establishing  of 
your  future  credit,  of  which  you  have  so  much  use, 
that  it  ought  to  be  accomplished  even  with  some 
hazard  to  your  Majesty  of  future  inconvenience."2 
Hyde  was  eventually  enabled  to  pay  these  debts. 
In  1658  a  great  honour  was  conferred  on  Hyde, 
and  justly  so,  for  Charles  was  indebted  to  him  in 
a  manner  that  no  honour  could  pay.  Hyde's  attention 
to  Charles  during  the  Cromwell  period  was  beyond 
all  praise.  The  honour  is  recorded  in  the  following 
terms; — "At  the  Court  at  Bruges,  I3th  January,  1658  ; 
1  Clarendon  Papers.  2  Ibid. 


196  TCosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


present  His  Majesty,  the  Duke  of  York,  the  Lord- 
Lieutenant  of  Ireland  (Ormond),  Secretary  Nicholas, 
and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  His  Majesty 
declared  his  resolution  to  have  his  Great  Seal  in 
the  custody  of  an  officer;  and  therefore  had  made 
choice  of  Sir  Edward  Hyde,  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer,  to  be  Lord  Chancellor  of  England,  to 
whom  he  forthwith  delivered  the  Great  Seal  and 
commanded  that  he  be  sworn.  Hyde  took  the  oath 
of  supremacy  and  allegiance.  Secretary  Nicholas 
administered  the  oath,  and  Hyde  took  his  place  by 
the  King's  command.  " 

It  would  appear,  that  notwithstanding  Hyde's  super- 
vision, the  King's  finances  continued  to  be  at  a  very 
low  ebb,  and  not  long  after  his  appointment,  Hyde 
writes  :  —  "  Every  bit  of  meat,  every  drop  of  drink,  all  the 
fire  and  candles  that  have  been  spent  since  the  King 
came  here,  are  still  owing,  and  how  to  get  credit  for  a 
week  more  is  no  easy  matter."  So  hard  was  the 
Chancellor  pressed,  that  he  was  obliged  to  write  the 
following  letter,  and  get  Charles  to  copy  it,  to  his  sister, 
the  Princess  of  Orange  :  —  "  I  know  you  are  without 
money,  and  cannot  very  easily  borrow  it,  at  least  upon 
so  little  warning  ;  but  if  you  will  send  me  any  jewels 
that  I  may  pawn  for  ;£  1,500,  I  do  promise  you  you 
shall  have  the  jewels  again  in  your  hands  before 
Christmas."  Before  Christmas,  however,  an  astounding 
event  occurred,  which  relieved  Charles  of  all  his  financial 
troubles.  Cromwell,  on  2nd  September,  1658,  died  at 
Whitehall,  of  ague,  a  trouble  that  he  suffered  from  for 
a  considerable  time.  Great  was  the  exultation  of 
Charles  and  many  more  at  the  announcement  of 
this  event.  Unfortunately,  however,  when  it  became 
known  that  the  Protector's  son  Richard  was  to  succeed 
him,  the  Royalists  were  paralysed  with  melancholy. 
Richard  Cromwell's  rule,  however,  was  of  short  duration. 
In  1659  his  Parliament,  which  sat  for  three  months,  was 
dissolved,  a  proceeding  that  turned  out  fatal  to  the 
young  Protector,  as  it  was  followed  by  his  downfall, 


IReicw  of  Gbarles  II.  197 

after  he  had  ruled  seven  months.  Hyde  was  residing 
at  Brussels,  and  in  the  interest  of  Charles,  carried  on 
a  secret  correspondence  with  England. 

Parliament  met  on  23rd  April,  1660,  at  Westminster, 
to  consider  as  to  the  Restoration  of  Charles,  when  the 
general  feeling  was  in  his  favour.  The  Long  Parliament 
had  been  dissolved.  He  was  on  8th  May  following 
proclaimed  in  London  by  the  English  Parliament  in  the 
following  terms  : — "  Although  it  can  no  way  be  doubted 
that  His  Majesty's  right  and  title  to  his  crown  and 
kingdom  is,  and  was,  completed  by  the  death  of  his 
Royal  father  of  glorious  memory,  without  the  ceremony 
or  solemnity  of  a  proclamation  :  yet  since  proclamations 
in  such  cases  have  been  always  used,  to  the  end  that  all 
good  subjects  might  on  this  occasion  testify  their  duty 
and  respect,  and  since  the  armed  violence  and  other 
calamities  of  many  years  past  have  deprived  us  of 
any  such  opportunity,  whereby  we  might  express  our 
loyalty  and  allegiance  to  His  Majesty  ;  we  therefore, 
the  Lords  and  Commons  now  assembled  in  Parliament, 
together  with  the  Lord  Mayor,  aldermen  and  Common 
Council  of  the  city  of  London,  and  other  freemen  of 
this  kingdom  now  present,  do  heartily,  joyfully  and 
unanimously  acknowledge  and  proclaim,  that  im- 
mediately after  the  death  of  our  late  sovereign  lord 
King  Charles,  the  Imperial  crown  of  England,  dominions 
and  rights  belonging  to  the  same,  did,  by  inherent 
birthright  and  lawful  succession,  descend  to  his  most 
Excellent  Majesty,  Charles  II.,  as  being  lineally,  justly 
and  lawfully,  next  heir  of  the  blood  Royal  of  this 
realm  ;  and  that  by  the  goodness  and  providence  of 
Almighty  God  he  is  of  England,  Scotland,  France  and 
Ireland  the  most  potent,  mighty  and  undoubted  King, 
and  thereunto  we  humbly  and  faithfully  submit  and 
bind  and  oblige  ourselves,  our  heirs  and  posterity 
for  ever.  God  save  the  King." 

One  of  the  most  amusing  proposals  made  to  Hyde 
was  that  Charles  "  should  gain  over  General  Lambert 
by  marrying  his  daughter,  commanding  withal  the 


Tbouse  of  Stuart 

beauty  and  disposition  of  the  lady,  the  bravery  of  the 
father,  and  the  respectability  and  antiquity  of  their 
lineage.  Hyde,  who  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of 
Charles,  gave  the  Presbyterians  to  understand  that  they 
were  to  be  favoured,  and  he  got  the  King  to  write  many 
obliging  letters  to  their  leaders  to  the  same  effect,  so 
that  many  of  them  co-operated  in  the  Restoration,  hoping 
that  Presbytery  was  to  be  adopted  as  the  established 
religion.  The  Chancellor  now  left  Brussels  secretly, 
and  went  to  Breda.  Here  he  wrote  the  "  Declaration 
from  Breda,"  granting  pardon  to  all  who  would  claim 
it  within  forty  days,  and  return  to  loyalty  and  obedience, 
saving  such  persons  as  should  be  excepted  by  Parliament, 
provided  no  man  should  be  disquieted  or  called  in 
question  for  differences  of  opinion  in  matters  of  religion, 
which  do  not  disturb  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  ; 
declaring  that  all  questions  of  grants,  sales  and  pur- 
chases of  property  should  be  determined  in  Parliament, 
and  that  the  army  under  General  Monck,  should  be  taken 
into  the  King's  service  on  as  good  pay  as  they  then 
enjoyed.1  Sir  John  Granville,  who  had  been  employed 
in  the  negotiations  between  Charles  and  General  Monck, 
arrived  from  Breda  with  despatches,  and  was  received 
with  acclamation  by  the  House  of  Commons.  He  pro- 
duced a  letter  from  Charles,  enclosing  the  "  Declaration 
of  Breda."  This  Declaration  was  dated  I4th  April, 
1660:  its  contents  were  unimportant. 

A  deputation  from  both  Houses  was  sent  to  Breda 
to  invite  Charles  to  return  and  take  possession  of  the 
throne.  He  accepted  the  invitation.  In  company  with 
Hyde  he  embarked  for  Dover  on  23rd  May,  1660. 
There  he  was  received  by  General  Monck,  who  had 
joined  the  supporters  of  Charles  at  Cromwell's  death, 
and  together  they  walked  under  a  rich  canopy  towards 
the  town.  On  the  way  they  were  met  by  the  Mayor 
and  Corporation,  who  presented  the  King  with  a  large 
Bible  ornamented  with  clasps  of  gold.  On  the  way  to 
Canterbury  the  greatest  joy  prevailed.  On  Barham 
'  Campbell's  Lives. 


1Rei0n  ot  Cbarles  II.  199 

Downs  he  was  met  by  a  brilliant  train  of  the  nobility, 
and  by  four  regiments  composed  of  the  loyal  men  of 
Kent.  As  Charles  presented  himself  at  the  head  of 
each  troop  on  horseback  the  men  kissed  the  hilts  of 
their  swords,  and  then  mingled  their  shouts  with  the 
clamours  of  their  trumpets.  At  Canterbury  he  was  met 
by  the  Mayor  and  aldermen,  who,  after  presenting  him 
with  a  cup  of  gold,  conducted  him  to  the  house  of  Lord 
Camden.  On  his  way  to  London,  at  Blackheath,  2Qth 
May,  the  army  was  drawn  up  and  received  him  with 
acclamation  ;  at  Deptford  100  young  girls  dressed  in 
white  and  with  baskets  in  their  hands  walked  before 
him  and  strewed  flowers  on  his  path.  At  Southwark 
he  was  met  by  the  Lord  Mayor  and  aldermen  of 
London  and  there  was  a  magnificent  banquet  ;  from 
Southwark  to  Whitehall  bands  of  music  were  fixed  at 
stated  intervals.  There  were  in  the  procession  20,000 
horse  and  foot ;  the  carriage-way  strewed  with  flowers, 
bells  ringing,  fountains  running  with  wine  ;  the  Lord 
Mayor,  aldermen,  and  the  city  companies  in  their 
liveries,  chains  of  gold  and  banners  ;  lords  and  nobles 
clad  in  cloth  of  silver,  gold  and  velvet ;  windows  and 
balconies  full  of  ladies ;  trumpets,  music,  and  myriads 
of  people.  On  arrival  at  Whitehall,  amidst  the  roar  of 
cannon,  the  members  of  both  Houses  were  there  to 
receive  the  King,  kiss  his  hand,  and  deliver  their 
address  of  congratulation.  Immediately  after  these 
rejoicings  Parliament  met  on  ist  June,  when  Lord 
Chancellor  Hyde  took  his  place  on  the  Woolsack,  a 
fitting  honour  after  his  fourteen  years'  privation  and 
exile  on  the  Continent.  Parliament,  in  these  days,  met 
at  eight  o'clock  a.m.  The  King  arrived  shortly  after,  and 
having  briefly  addressed  the  House,  called  on  the  Lord 
Chancellor  to  proceed.  The  Lord  Chancellor  addressed 
Parliament  at  some  length,  and  after  the  disposal  of 
some  formal  business,  took  his  seat  in  the  Court  of 
Chancery,  when  the  usual  oaths  were  administered  to 
him.  The  King,  in  addressing  the  House  on  29th 
August,  said  :  "  I  must  tell  you  that  I  am  not  richer — 


200  TRopal  ibouse  of  Stuart 

that  is,  I  have  not  so  much  money  in  my  purse  as  when 
I  came  to  you  ;  the  truth  is  I  have  lived  principally 
ever  since  on  what  I  brought  with  me,  which  was  indeed 
your  money  ;  you  sent  it  to  me,  and  I  thank  you  for  it. 
The  weekly  expense  of  the  Navy  eats  up  all  you  have 
given  me  by  the  bill  of  tonnage  and  poundage  ;  nor 
have  I  been  able  to  give  my  brother  one  shilling  since 
I  came  to  England,  nor  keep  any  table  in  my  house, 
but  where  I  eat  myself.  And  that  which  troubles  me 
most  is  to  see  many  of  you  come  to  me  at  Whitehall, 
and  to  think  you  must  go  somewhere  else  to  seek  a 
dinner."1  One  of  the  first  things  that  came  up  for 
consideration  was  Church  government.  The  Chancellor 
would  seem  to  have  considered  it  his  duty  to  crush  the 
Presbyterians  and  re-establish  the  Church  of  England. 
But  as  the  Restoration  was  so  far  brought  about  by  the 
Presbyterians,  he  flattered  them  by  the  "  Declaration  of 
Breda,"  and  as  a  politic  step  ten  of  the  clergy  were 
made  Royal  chaplains,  preaching  in  turn  before  the 
Court.  A  manifesto  was  published  in  the  King's  name 
as  head  of  the  Church,  supposed  to  be  by  the  Chancellor. 
After  commending  the  Church  of  England  as  the  best 
fence  against  Popery,  and  asserting  that  on  all  essential 
points  the  two  parties  cordially  agreed,  it  specified  the 
modifications  to  which  the  King  would  assent : — (i)  To 
take  away  all  notion  of  the  bishops  being  restored  to 
the  House  of  Lords.  (2)  That  such  a  number  of 
suffragan  bishops  be  appointed  as  would  be  sufficient 
for  the  service  of  the  church.  (3)  That  bishops  do  not 
censure  or  ordain  without  the  advice  of  their  Presbyters; 
that  the  bishop  should  not  act  singly  but  as  the  President 
of  an  Ecclesiastical  Board.  (4)  That  the  liturgy  should 
be  revised  by  an  equal  number  of  divines  of  both 
persuasions.  (5)  Subscriptions  to  the  Thirty  -  Nine 
Articles  not  required  for  ordination  or  induction, 
or  for  degrees  at  the  universities.  It  would  appear, 
however,  that  a  bill  to  convert  this  manifesto  into 
law  was  thrown  out  of  the  House  of  Commons  on 
1  Clarendon. 


1Rdan  of  Gbarles  II.  201 

the  second  reading,  by  a  majority  of  26  in  a  House 
of  340.1 

At  this  date — 1660 — the  Lord  Chancellor  was  created 
Earl  of  Clarendon.  The  marriage  of  his  daughter  was 
no  sooner  announced  than  preparations  were  made  to 
enable  the  Duchess  of  York  to  keep  her  Court  at  St. 
James's  with  the  usual  state.  The  life  of  the  Duchess 
unfortunately  was  short,  as  she  died  in  March,  1671,  in 
the  thirty-fourth  year  of  her  age,  to  the  great  grief  of 
her  father  and  her  husband.  She  was  interred  in  the 
chapel  of  Henry  VII.  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

When  Charles  dined  this  year  with  the  members  on 
the  occasion  of  constituting  them  a  Royal  Society, 
towards  the  close  of  the  evening  he  expressed  satisfaction 
at  being  the  first  English  King  who  had  laid  a  founda- 
tion for  a  Society  which  proposed  that  their  sole  studies 
should  be  directed  to  the  investigation  of  the  arcana  of 
Nature.  Among  such  learned  men  he  now  hoped  for 
the  solution  of  a  question  which  had  long  perplexed 
him  :  "  Suppose  two  pails  of  water  were  fixed  in  two 
different  scales  that  were  equally  poised,  and  which 
weighed  equally  alike,  and  that  two  live  small  fish  were 
put  into  either,  he  wanted  to  know  the  reason  why  that 
pail  with  such  addition  should  not  weigh  more  than 
the  other  pail  which  stood  against  it  ?  "  Everyone  was 
ready  to  satisfy  the  Royal  curiosity,  but  it  appeared 
that  each  was  giving  a  different  opinion.  One  at  length 
offered  so  ridiculous  a  solution  that  a  member  could 
not  refrain  from  a  loud  laugh  ;  when  the  King,  turning 
to  him,  insisted  that  he  should  give  his  sentiments  as 
well  as  the  rest.  This  he  did,  and  told  His  Majesty 
that  he  denied  the  fact ;  on  which  the  King  exclaimed  : 
"  Odds  fish,  brother,  but  you  are  in  the  right." 

On  28th  November,  the  bodies  of  Oliver  Cromwell, 
Henry  Ireton,  his  son-in-law,  John  Bradshaw,  who 
sentenced  Charles  I.  to  death,  and  Thomas  Pryde,  who 
with  his  regiment  committed  the  outrage  on  the  House 
of  Commons,  and  ejected  by  force  two-thirds  of  the 
1  Clarendon. 


202  iRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


members,  were  taken  out  of  their  graves,  hanged  at 
Tyburn,  and  burned  under  the  gallows.  Cromwell's 
vault  having  been  opened  the  people  crowded  to  see 
him.1  In  connection  with  this  extraordinary  proceeding, 
the  work  of  Charles  II.,  the  author  of  the  "  Lives  of  the 
Chancellors  of  England,"  says  :  "  The  Lord  Chancellor, 
Hyde,  must  be  severely  blamed  for  suffering  the 
exhumation  of  Cromwell  and  some  of  his  associates 
who  had  died  before  the  Restoration,  hanging  them  on 
a  gibbet,  cutting  off  their  heads,  and  offering  other 
revolting  insults  to  their  remains.  These  atrocities 
were  committed  by  the  joint  resolution  of  the  Houses 
of  Parliament.  The  Chancellor  must  have  put  the 
resolution  from  the  Woolsack,  and  issued  directions  to 
the  Sheriff  of  Middlesex  and  other  officers  of  the  law  to 
carry  it  into  effect.  The  inhuman  outrage  was  evidently 
meant  to  avenge  the  murder  of  the  late  King. 

The  Scottish  Parliament  assembled  on  1st  January, 
1661,  and  sat  for  four  months.  It  was  opened  by 
General  Middleton,  the  High  Commissioner,  who  was 
created  Earl  Middleton  in  honour  of  this  occasion  ;  he 
was  afterwards  superseded  by  Parliament  in  1663.  The 
Earl  of  Glencairn,  who  was  Sheriff  of  Ayrshire,  was 
appointed  Lord  Chancellor  of  Scotland,  and  the  Earl 
of  Rothes,  Lord  President.  The  Estates  of  the  realm 
had  rarely  ventured  to  offer  any  serious  opposition  to 
the  will  of  the  sovereign,  but  the  present  Parliament 
proved  unusually  obsequious.  It  was  proposed  to 
cancel  all  the  proceedings  of  the  various  Parliaments 
and  conventions  which  had  been  held  since  1633,  as 
irregular  and  unconstitutional,  as  the  late  King  had 
been  constrained  by  violence  to  give  them  his  sanction. 
In  spite  of  the  opposition  of  Crawford,  Cassillis  and 
other  Covenanters,  this  act  was  passed  by  a  large 
majority,  and  thus  at  one  single  sweep  all  the  barriers 
which  had  been  raised  to  protect  the  civil  and  religious 
liberties  of  the  nation  were  at  once  annulled,  and  a 
precedent  was  furnished  destructive  of  all  security  of 
1  Pepys's  Diary. 


TRcign  of  Cbarles  II.  203 

person  or  property,  and  of  confidence  between  the 
sovereign  and  people.  "  It  was  a  maddening  time," 
says  Burnet,  "  when  the  men  of  affairs  were  perpetually 
drunk  ;"  Middleton  himself  often  took  his  place  on  the 
throne  in  such  a  state  of  intoxication  that  the  House 
had  to  be  adjourned.1  At  this  Parliament  the  Solemn 
League  and  Covenant  was  condemned  as  an  unlawful 
oath  imposed  on  the  subject  contrary  to  authority. 
Charles  declared  that  he  would  maintain  the  Protestant 
religion,  and  allow  the  present  administration  of  Synods 
and  Presbyteries,  and  finally  this  Parliament  indicted 
the  Marquis  of  Argyll  for  high  treason  for  supporting 
Cromwell.  When  the  King  was  restored  to  the  throne, 
either  through  accident  or  design  the  amnesty  which 
was  promised  to  his  English  subjects  was  withheld 
from  Scotland.  To  the  Scots  this  was  a  serious  matter 
because  of  the  unscrupulous  and  arbitrary  nature  of  the 
King,  and  specially  the  imminent  danger  to  the  public 
safety  in  respect  of  every  person  who  submitted  to 
Cromwell's  rule.  Nobody  would  suppose  that  Charles 
would  entertain  any  other  feeling  to  Cromwell  than 
that  of  the  bitterest  animosity.  But  that  was  a  different 
thing  from  executing  innocent  men  who  had  rendered 
service  to  the  State,  on  the  authority  of  bogus  charges. 
There  was  in  the  meantime  no  amnesty  to  be  granted 
to  Scotland. 

The  Scottish  Parliament  at  this  date  passed  an 
extraordinary  number  of  statutes.  Among  them  were 
the  following : — "  The  King  and  Estates  of  Parliament 
ratify  and  approve  the  gift  and  grant  made  to  John, 
Earl  of  Atholl,  during  all  the  days  of  his  life,  of  the 
office  of  Justice  General  of  Scotland,  with  all  its 
privileges  and  emoluments,  with  power  to  appoint 
deputies  and  appoint  Courts  of  Justice  in  Edinburgh 
and  other  places  ;  to  hold  Justice  Ayres  and  circuits 
according  to  act  of  Parliament  of  1587,  and  other  acts. 
Charles  II.  ratified  to  John,  Earl  of  Atholl,  in  1661,  the 
office  of  heritable  bailiary  of  Dunkeld  ;  charters  dated 

1  Taylor. 


204  TRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

1577  and  1584."  The  act  annexing  Orkney  and 
Shetland  was  passed  in  1662.  It  was  further  enacted 
that  those  who  should  hereafter  marry,  or  get  married 
in  a  clandestine  or  unlawful  manner,  contrary  to  the 
established  order  of  the  Church,  or  by  Jesuits,  priests, 
deposed  or  suspended  ministers,  shall  be  imprisoned 
for  three  months,  shall  pay  each  nobleman  £5 ,000 
Scots,  each  baron  and  landed  gentleman  5,000  merks, 
each  gentleman  and  burgess  ;£i,ooo  ;  each  other 
person  500  merks,  and  to  be  imprisoned  until  these  are 
paid.  These  moneys  to  be  applied  to  pious  uses  within 
the  parishes  where  the  parties  reside.  The  celebrators 
of  such  marriages  to  be  banished  the  kingdom  for  ever. 
The  first  victim  of  Charles's  displeasure  was  the  first 
Marquis  of  Argyll.  Charles  knew  he  could  not  capture 
Argyll  in  his  own  country,  and  therefore  in  a  friendly 
letter  he  treacherously  invited  him  to  London.  Argyll, 
suspecting  nothing,  accepted  the  invitation.  While 
waiting  in  the  privy  chamber  at  Whitehall  to  kiss  the 
King's  hand,  he  was  suddenly  arrested  and  taken  to 
the  Tower  as  a  quondam  traitor  and  regicide,  it  being 
asserted  that  he  had  secretly  encouraged  the  Republicans 
to  put  the  late  King  to  death;  he  was  sent  to  Edinburgh 
to  be  tried  by  his  enemies.  This  arrest  was  an  act  of 
base  ingratitude  on  the  part  of  the  King,  seeing  Argyll 
at  the  coronation  had  put  the  crown  on  his  head.  It 
was  in  the  highest  degree  dishonourable,  and  admits  of 
no  defence.  If  it  was  treason  to  lead  the  Covenanters 
in  their  various  engagements,  then  Argyll  was  a  traitor. 
But  Argyll's  defence  at  his  protracted  trial,  early  in 
1 66 1,  was  not  only  noble,  it  was  unanswerable,  and 
demanded  his  instant  release  from  prison.  What  are 
his  own  words  ?  During  the  late  unhappy  commotions 
"  he  had  acted  by  the  authority  of  Parliament,  not 
on  his  own  responsibility.  The  proceedings  of  the 
Covenanters  were  covered  by  the  act  of  oblivion, 
passed  by  Charles  I.,  and  by  the  indemnity  granted 
by  his  present  Majesty  at  the  Parliament  of  Stirling  ; 
the  atrocities  imputed  to  his  clan  were  either  fictitious 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  II.  205 

or  greatly  exaggerated  ;  they  had  been  provoked  by 
the  cruelties  inflicted  on  the  district,  which  had  been 
twice  wasted  by  fire  and  sword  ;  and  whatever  might 
be  their  nature,  they  could  not  be  imputed  to  him,  as 
they  were  perpetrated  during  his  absence  in  England  ; 
and  as  for  compliance  with  the  late  usurpation,1  the 
whole  kingdom  shared  it  equally  with  himself ;  that  it 
was  necessary  for  his  own  preservation  that  he  did  not 
submit  till  the  whole  nation  had  acquiesced  in  the  rule 
of  the  Commonwealth,  and  resistance  was  no  longer 
practicable ;  that  his  submission  to  the  existing 
Government  did  not  imply  a  recognition  of  its  original 
title,  much  less  a  treasonable  opposition  to  the  rightful 
heir  while  excluded  from  the  throne,  and,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  could  I  suppose  I  was  acting  criminally 
when  a  man  so  learned  as  His  Majesty's  advocate 
took  the  same  oath  to  the  Commonwealth  as  I  did  ? 
Concerning  that  horrid  and  unparalleled  murder  of 
his  late  Majesty,  I  do  here  publicly  declare  that  I  do 
not  deserve  the  least  countenance  or  favour  if  1  was 
either  accessory  to  it  or  in  the  counsel  or  knowledge  of 
it ;  which  to  make  clearly  appear  is  under  oath  in  the 
Parliament  Book  of  1649 ;  whereof  I  was  the  first 
starter  myself  to  the  intent  that  we  might  both 
vindicate  ourselves  and  endeavour  a  discovery  if  any 
amongst  us  had  any  accession  to  that  horrid  and 
villainous  crime ;  as  also  in  my  latter  will  which  I 
made,  going  to  England  in  1655  or  1656,  fearing  what 
possibly  might  hereafter  be  obtruded  by  any  upon  me 
or  my  family  upon  that  account ;  I  set  it  down  to  clear 
my  posterity  that  I  was  altogether  free  of  that  detest- 
able crime  or  of  any  prejudice  to  His  Majesty  in  either 
person  or  government.  I  left  this  with  a  very  worthy 
gentleman,  and  never  saw  it  since ;  so  your  lordship 
may  be  pleased  if  you  will,  to  call  for  it  and  try  the 
truth.  Whatsoever  other  thing  may  be  in  it  I  hope 
this  opportunity  is  a  mercy  to  me  to  have  this  vile 
calumny  against  me  cleared." 

1  Cromwell. 


Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

Argyll,  notwithstanding  this  able  defence,  was  found 
guilty,  and  was  on  27th  May,  1661,  beheaded  at  the 
Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh,  and  his  head  placed  on  the 
Tolbooth,  where  it  remained  three  years.  Some  other 
unfortunate  victims  were  executed  after  him,  including 
James  Guthrie,  a  well-known  and  greatly  respected 
minister  of  the  time.  What  are  we  to  think 
of  the  administration  of  Scotland  in  1661,  when 
such  eminent  men  could  be  executed  on  the  mere 
ipse  dixit  of  an  incapable  and  vindictive  ruler?  It 
was  a  humiliating  condition  of  the  realm,  and  reflects 
unqualified  discredit  on  the  Scottish  Parliament  of  the 
period.  These  executions  were  calculated  to  create  very 
general  animosity  against  the  King. 

The  Earl  of  Argyll,  immediately  before  his  execution, 
wrote  his  two  daughters-in-law  as  follows  : — 

MY  DEAR  LADY  SOPHIA, — What  shall  I  say  in  this 
great  day  of  the  Lord  wherein  in  the  midst  of  a  cloud 
I  find  a  fair  sunshine  ?  I  can  wish  no  more  for  you  but 
that  the  Lord  might  comfort  you  and  shine  upon  you 
as  he  doth  upon  me,  and  give  you  the  same  sense  of 
His  love  in  staying  in  the  world  as  I  have  in  going 
out  of  it. 

DEAR  LADY  HENRIETTA, — I  pray  God  to  bless  and 
sanctify  this  lot  to  you.  Our  concerns  are  strangely 
mixed  ;  the  Lord  look  on  them !  I  know  all  shall  turn 
to  good  to  them  that  fear  God  and  hope  in  His  mercy. 
So  I  know  you  do,  and  that  you  may  still  do  it  more 
and  more  is  my  wish  for  you  ;  the  Lord  comfort  you. — 
I  am,  your  loving  father  and  servant, 

ARGYLL. 

The  coronation  of  Charles,  in  presence,  it  is  said,  of 
10,000  people,  took  place  in  Westminster  Abbey,  23rd 
April,  1661.  In  the  centre  the  throne  was  erected. 
The  Dean  and  prebendaries  of  Westminster,  and  the 
bishops,  led  the  procession,  followed  by  the  peers  in 
their  Parliament  robes ;  these  were  followed  by  the 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  II.  207 

King  and  the  Duke  of  York  ;  Lord  Sandwich,  who 
carried  the  sceptre,  and  other  officers  the  sword  and 
crown.  The  King  was  in  his  Royal  robes  and  bare- 
headed. All  being  seated,  there  was  divine  service,  and 
a  special  sermon  by  the  Dean  of  Westminster.  In  the 
choir  at  the  high  altar  the  King  went  through  all  the 
ceremony  of  the  coronation.  The  crown  being  placed 
on  his  head  there  was  great  acclamation,  and  he  then 
ascended  the  throne  where  he  took  the  coronation  oath. 
The  lords  and  bishops  then  knelt  before  him.  Three 
times  the  Lyon  King  proclaimed  that  if  anyone  could 
show  reason  why  Charles  Stuart  should  not  be  King  of 
England  he  should  now  come  forward  and  speak.  A 
general  pardon  was  then  read  by  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
followed  by  an  indiscriminate  distribution  of  silver 
medals  by  Lord  Cornwallis.  The  King  then  came  into 
the  hall  with  the  crown  on  his  head,  the  sceptre  in  his 
hand,  under  a  canopy  borne  by  six  silver  staves,  carried 
by  barons  of  the  Cinque  Ports  with  bells  at  each  end. 
They  sat  down  at  their  several  tables ;  the  King's 
first  course  being  carried  by  the  Knights  of  the  Bath. 
The  Earl  of  Northumberland,  Lord  High  Constable  of 
England,  accompanied  by  Lords  Suffolk  and  Ormond, 
entered  the  hall  on  horseback  and  stayed  so  all  the 
time  of  dinner.  They  then  brought  up  the  King's 
champion  in  armour  on  horseback  with  his  spear  and 
target  carried  before  him,  the  York  Herald  proclaiming  : 
"  If  any  dare  deny  Charles  Stuart  to  be  lawful  King  of 
England,  here  is  a  champion  who  would  fight  with  him." 
The  champion  then  threw  down  his  gauntlet.  This 
was  done  three  times  in  his  going  up  to  the  King's 
table  ;  the  King  then  drank  his  health  and  sent  him  the 
cup,  which  was  of  gold.  The  champion  drank  it  off, 
and  then  rode  back  to  the  King's  table  with  the  cup  in 
his  hand.  Dinner  concluded  at  six  p.m. ;  it  was  enlivened 
with  music  of  all  sorts,  including  twenty-four  violins. 
At  the  close  of  the  proceedings,  which  lasted  two  days, 
there  came  on  a  violent  thunderstorm. 

A  curious  incident  is  recorded  about  the  regalia :  the 


2o8  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

crown,  sceptre  and  sword.  The  Estates  of  Parliament 
met,  as  already  stated,  on  ist  January,  1661.  Immedi- 
ately on  the  Restoration  came  the  question,  What  had 
become  of  these  ?  It  was  naturally  supposed  that  they 
had  been  removed  to  London,  but  they  were  not  there. 
Were  they  destroyed  or  taken  abroad  ?  It  was  at  last 
announced  that  they  were  safe  at  home,  but  their  escape 
had  been  narrow  ;  they  had  been  in  the  custody  of  the 
Earl  Marischal  at  Dunnottar  since  Cromwell's  invasion. 
During  that  turbulent  time  two  women,  the  wife  of  the 
commander  of  the  castle,  and  the  wife  of  the  minister 
of  the  adjoining  parish  of  KinnefT,  formed  a  plan  for 
concealing  the  regalia.  The  minister's  wife  carried 
them  out  through  the  besieging  army ;  the  crown  lay 
in  her  lap  ;  the  sword  and  sceptre  seemed  to  have  made 
a  sort  of  distaff,  for  a  mass  of  lint,  which,  like  a  thrifty 
matron,  she  was  busily  spinning  into  thread.  The 
minister  buried  them  at  night  under  the  pavement  of 
the  church,  and  there  they  remained  in  concealment. 
Their  discovery  was  hailed  with  much  delight  by  the 
Scottish  people,  as  by  the  recovery  of  the  regalia  the 
Estates  were  enabled  to  assemble  with  all  due  pomp 
and  ceremony.1 

On  8th  May,  1661,  the  Chancellor  had  to  meet  the 
new  English  Parliament.  On  the  first  day  of  the  session, 
the  King  having  spoken  at  greater  length  than  usual, 
still  referred  the  two  Houses  for  a  further  explanation 
of  his  views  to  the  Lord  Chancellor.  The  Commons 
began  the  session  with  the  following  resolution : — 
"  That  all  their  members  should  forthwith  take  the 
Sacrament,  according  to  the  rights  of  the  Church  of 
England,  on  pain  of  expulsion  from  the  House."  The 
Lord  Chancellor  encouraged  the  Lords  to  join  the 
Commons  in  an  order  that  the  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant  which  Charles  had  signed  should  be  burned 
by  the  common  hangman,  along  with  the  ordinance  for 
the  trial  of  the  late  King,  for  establishing  the  Common- 
wealth, and  the  security  of  the  Lord  Protector.2  Not- 
1  Hill  Burton.  2  Clarendon. 


of  Cbarles  II.  209 

withstanding  his  solemn  oath  to  maintain  Pesbyterianism, 
Charles  now  sent  a  letter  to  the  Privy  Council,  in  which, 
after  alluding  to  his  promise  that  he  would  maintain 
the  Church  as  settled  by  law,  and  pleading  that 
Parliament  had  now  rescinded  the  acts  respecting  its 
government  passed  during  the  Civil  War,  he  says  :  "  We 
therefore,  from  our  respect  to  the  glory  of  God,  the  good 
and  interest  of  the  Protestant  religion,  from  our  pious 
care  and  princely  zeal  for  the  peace  and  stability  of  the 
Church  and  its  better  harmony  with  the  government 
of  the  Church  of  England,  have,  after  mature  delibera- 
tion, declared  to  our  council  here  our  firm  resolution  to 
interpose  our  Royal  authority  for  the  restoring  of  that 
Church  to  its  right  government  by  bishops  as  it  was 
before  the  late  troubles."  A  proclamation  was  immedi- 
ately issued  announcing  the  restoration  of  the  bishops, 
prohibiting  meetings  of  Synods  and  Assemblies,  and 
forbidding  all  preaching  against  the  change,  on  pain  of 
imprisonment.  Burghs,  under  severe  penalties,  were 
ordered  to  elect  no  magistrates  who  had  Presbyterian 
principles;  Episcopacy  being  now  established,  it  became 
necessary  to  appoint  bishops.  James  Sharp,  Professor 
of  Divinity,  St.  Andrews ;  James  Hamilton,  minister, 
Cambusnethan  ;  Robert  Leighton,  Principal  of  the 
College,  Edinburgh ;  and  Andrew  Fairfoul,  minister 
of  Duns.  These  were  first  ordained  deacons,  and 
were  now  consecrated  bishops,  by  which  act  they 
renounced  the  validity  of  their  former  ordination. 
Sharp  was  made  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews  ;  Fairfoul, 
Archbishop  of  Glasgow ;  Hamilton,  bishop  of  Galloway  ; 
and  Leighton,  bishop  of  Dunblane.  On  their  return 
home  they  consecrated  the  rest  of  the  Scots  bishops. 
Parliament  ordained  all  ministers  to  attend  the  Diocesan 
Assembly,  and  concur  in  all  acts  of  Church  discipline, 
under  pain  of  suspension.  Those  who  had  entered  on 
their  charges  since  1649  had  no  right  to  uplift  the 
revenues  until  they  received  a  presentation  from  the 
patron,  and  had  collation  from  the  bishop  of  the 
diocese.  In  the  West,  the  clergy  continued  to  occupy 

VOL.    II.  O 


210  Iftoyal  Douse  of  Stuart 

their  pulpits,  and  resolved  not  to  recognise  the  bishops. 
Middleton  was  determined  to  enforce  the  law  for  the 
support  of  Episcopacy,  and  made  a  tour  through  the 
West,  accompanied  by  some  members  of  the  Privy 
Council.  The  scenes  of  profaneness  and  debauchery 
which  took  place  during  this  progress  created  great 
disgust.  An  act  of  council  was  framed  at  a  meeting 
where  only  two  of  the  members  were  sober,  declaring 
that  all  ministers  admitted  since  1649,  when  patronage 
was  abolished,  and  had  not  complied  with  the  act  of 
Parliament,  should  be  deprived  of  their  livings,  and  ex- 
pelled from  their  parishes,  and  if  necessary  displaced  by 
military  force.  To  the  surprise  of  the  commissioners, 
and  the  mortification  of  the  bishops,  nearly  400 
ministers  at  once  resigned  their  charges  rather  than 
comply  with  this  tyrannical  act.1  The  old  religion 
was  revised  without  any  attempt  to  conciliate  the 
most  reasonable  Presbyterians.  Episcopal  ordina- 
tion was  now  for  the  first  time  made  an  indispensable 
qualification  for  Church  preferment. 

This  year  the  King  was  feasted  at  the  Inner  Temple 
by  the  Lord  Chancellor,  "the  Autumn  Reader."  The 
feast  lasted  six  days,  and  the  King  and  the  Duke  of 
York  were  entertained  on  the  last  day.  On  this 
occasion  the  King  came  from  Whitehall  in  his  state 
barge,  and  landing  at  the  Temple  stairs,  was  there 
received  by  the  "Reader"  and  the  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Common  Pleas.  Passing  thence  through  a  double  file 
of  the  "  Reader's  "  servants,  clothed  in  scarlet  cloaks  and 
white  doublets,  he  took  his  way  through  a  breach  made 
expressly  for  the  occasion  in  the  wall  which  at  that  time 
enclosed  the  Temple  garden,  and  moved  on  through  a 
lane  formed  of  benchers  and  students  belonging  to  the 
society.  After  dinner  there  was  dancing  and  merriment 
to  a  late  hour. 

In  March,  1662,  the  Lord  Chancellor  brought  in  an 
Act  of  Uniformity  which,  on  St.  Bartholomew's  Day 
following,  ejected  2,000  ministers  from  their  livings, 

1  Taylor. 


of  Cbarles  II.  211 

and,  if  rigidly  enforced  as  it  was  intended  to  be,  would 
have  established  a  system  of  persecution  unparalleled 
in  any  Protestant  country,  and  deprived  the  Church  of 
England  of  the  support  of  those  who  now  form  the 
Wesleyan  and  other  bodies.1  Those  ministers  who 
would  not  conform  were  driven  out  of  their  benefices  in 
one  day.  Then  came  penal  statutes  against  Noncon- 
formists. The  Presbyterians  in  terror  appealed  to  the 
King.  The  King  wavered  ;  he  made  a  feeble  attempt 
to  restrain  the  intolerant  zeal  of  the  House  of  Commons. 
After  a  faint  struggle  he  yielded  and  passed  a  series  of 
odious  acts  against  Separatists.  It  was  made  a  crime  to 
attend  a  dissenting  place  of  worship.  A  single  Justice 
of  the  Peace  might  convict  without  a  jury,  and  might 
for  the  third  offence  pass  sentence  of  transportation 
for  seven  years.  If  the  accused  returned  before  the 
expiration  of  his  sentence  he  was  liable  to  capital 
punishment.  Ministers  deprived  of  their  benefices,  and 
those  who  refused  to  take  the  test,  were  prohibited  from 
coming  within  five  miles  of  any  town  governed  by  a 
corporation  or  represented  in  Parliament,  or  where  they 
had  resided  as  ministers.  There  was  no  excess  which 
was  not  encouraged  by  the  ostentatious  profligacy  of 
the  King  and  of  his  favourite  courtiers.  Scarcely  any 
rank  or  profession  escaped  the  infection  of  the 
prevailing  immorality.2 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  last  session  of  Parliament 
the  King's  marriage  with  Catherine  of  Braganza,  the 
Infanta  of  Portugal,  was  celebrated.  The  Lord 
Chancellor  incurred  great  odium  for  concurring  in  this 
match.  The  Spanish  Ambassador  wished  to  break  it 
off,  having  publicly  declared  that  the  Princess  never 
could  have  children.  This  statement,  which  turned  out 
true,  was  treated  as  gratuitous. 

It  is  recorded  by  more  than  one  writer  that  Charles's 
marriage  was  not  a  very  happy  one,  and  when  we  con- 
sider the   immorality   of   his   conduct   that   need   not 
surprise  us.     Clarendon  says  the   Queen  was   so   dis- 
1  Hill  Burton.  "  Macaulay. 


2i2  racial  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

pleased  with  him  that  she  threatened  to  leave  him  and 
return  to  Portugal.  In  place  of  apologising  for  his 
conduct  and  making  peace  with  the  lady,  he  told  her 
she  would  do  well  first  to  know  if  her  mother  would 
receive  her ;  and  he  would  give  her  an  opportunity  of 
knowing  that  by  sending  home  all  her  Portuguese 
servants.  One  thing  that  troubled  him  constantly, 
and  became  chronic,  was  his  scarcity  of  money.  In  the 
record  of  his  reign  we  have  abundant  proof  of  that. 
He  was  twice  offered  a  loan  from  France,  and  Clarendon 
twice  refused  it.  The  loan  was  a  third  time  offered,  and 
Clarendon  wrote  the  Ambassador :  "  We  have  had  many 
matters  of  greater  importance  to  settle  with  Parliament 
about  to  meet  than  the  procuring  of  money,  till  the 
other  things  are  done  ;  and  yet  you  will  easily  believe 
that  the  King,  before  that  time,  may  be  in  some  straits 
which  he  will  not  willingly  own.  If  this  should  fall  out 
to  be  the  case,  do  you  believe,  if  the  King  desired  it,  that 
the  French  King  will  lend  him  ^"50,000  for  twelve 
months,  in  which  time  it  shall  be  punctually  paid  ? " 
The  loan  was  granted.  The  character  of  the  King  is 
pretty  well  illustrated  in  a  letter  to  Clarendon  at  this 
period.  Clarendon  had  remonstrated  seriously  with 
him  for  trying  to  make  Lady  Castlemaine,  his  mistress 
(afterwards  Duchess  of  Cleveland),  one  of  the  ladies  of 
the  bedchamber,  and  received  the  following  reply :  "  I 
wish  I  may  be  unhappy  in  this  world,  and  in  the  world 
to  come,  if  I  fail  in  the  least  degree  of  what  I  have 
resolved,  which  is  of  making  my  Lady  Castlemaine  of 
my  wife's  bedchamber.  I  am  resolved  to  go  through 
with  this  matter,  which  again  I  solemnly  swear  before 
Almighty  God.  Therefore,  if  you  wish  to  have  the 
continuance  of  my  friendship,  meddle  no  more  with  this 
business  except  it  be  to  bear  down  all  false  and 
scandalous  reports,  and  to  facilitate  what  I  am  sure  my 
honour  is  so  much  concerned  in  ;  and  whoever  I  find  to 
be  Lady  Castlemaine's  enemy  in  this  matter  I  promise 
to  be  his  enemy  as  long  as  I  live.  You  may  show  this 
letter  to  my  Lord-Lieutenant,  and  if  you  have  both  a 


of  Cbarles  II.  213 

mind  to  oblige  me  carry  yourselves  like  friends  to  me 
in  this  matter." 

We  come  now  to  a  transaction  of  great  importance, 
viz.,  the  sale  of  Dunkirk  to  France  by  the  English 
Government.  This  transaction  was  carried  out  almost 
exclusively  by  that  able  statesman  Clarendon.  It 
would  be  unreasonable  to  condemn  him  for  the  nego- 
tiation altogether.  He  carried  it  out  under  a  keen 
sense  of  duty  at  a  time  when  money  was  urgently 
needed,  difficult  to  obtain,  and  the  King  deeply  in  debt. 
This  sale  would  appear  to  have  taken  place  on  iQth 
May,  1662,  at  the  price  of  five  millions  of  livres 
(£250,000  sterling).  Clarendon  had  many  enemies,  and 
the  history  of  the  time  clearly  shows  that  great 
disapproval  was  expressed  when  this  transaction  was 
completed.  No  harm,  however,  seems  to  have  resulted 
by  the  sale,  but  the  application  of  the  proceeds  remains 
a  mystery.  From  all  accounts  Charles's  private  purse 
appears  to  have  got  a  good  share  to  meet  his  reckless 
expenditure.  This  led  to  an  altercation  between  him 
and  Clarendon,  when  the  latter  said  to  him  :  "  On  several 
representations  the  Lord  Treasurer  has  made  to  you 
regarding  your  expenses  how  far  they  exceed  your 
receipts,  and  how  you  have  spent  some  time  in 
considering  how  to  improve  the  one  and  lessen  the 
other,"  but  no  satisfactory  answer  was  given.  After  the 
sale  of  Dunkirk,  Clarendon's  new  house  in  Piccadilly 
was  by  the  multitude  nicknamed  "  Dunkirk  House." 

Parliament  met  at  Edinburgh  on  1 8th  June,  1662,  when 
stringent  measures  were  adopted  against  Presbyterian 
ministers ;  those  who  refused  to  attend  diocesan  meetings 
were  to  be  ejected  ;  if  they  preached  after  ejection  they 
were  to  be  punished  for  sedition ;  they  and  their  families 
were  to  remove  from  their  parishes  within  twenty 
days,  and  not  to  reside  within  twenty  miles  of  the 
same.  Every  nobleman  or  heritor  who  should  wilfully 
absent  himself  from  the  parish  church  was  to  forfeit  a 
fourth  part  of  his  year's  rent ;  tenants  and  burgesses  a 
fourth  part  of  their  movables,  together  with  the  freedom 


214  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

of  the  burgh,  and  such  corporal  punishment  as  the 
Privy  Council  might  ordain.  There  was  to  be  a 
General  Assembly,  consisting  of  archbishops,  bishops, 
deans  and  archdeacons,  perpetual  moderators,  with  one 
minister  from  each  Presbytery,  and  two  from  each 
university,  the  King  to  raise  50,000  foot  and  2,000 
horse  to  serve  in  any  part  of  the  kingdom.  This 
meeting,  as  an  additional  act  of  despotism,  ordered  the 
execution  of  Sir  Archibald  Johnstone,  Lord  Warriston, 
one  of  the  principal  leaders  of  the  Covenanters,  a  man  of 
great  sagacity  and  eloquence,  who  had  incurred  the  hatred 
of  the  King  by  the  freedom  with  which  he  had  censured 
his  profligacy  during  his  residence  in  Scotland. 
Warriston  escaped  to  the  Continent,  but  was  tracked 
and  betrayed,  and  was  on  22nd  July  beheaded  at  the 
Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh.  He  was  an  eminent 
lawyer,  belonged  to  Annandale,  and  had  been  named 
as  one  of  the  commissioners  chosen  on  9th  August,  1643, 
for  the  purpose  of  mediating  between  Charles  I.  and  his 
Parliament,  but  Charles,  viewing  him  as  a  dangerous 
opponent,  refused  him  a  pass,  and  he  remained  in 
Edinburgh.  These  oppressive  proceedings  resulted  in 
the  Covenanters  resorting  to  arms.  This  Parliament 
ordained  Middleton  to  be  superseded  as  Lord  High 
Commissioner  to  the  Parliament  of  Scotland,  and  the 
Earl  of  Rothes  was  appointed  in  his  place.  Rothes  was 
also  appointed  Lord  Treasurer.  This  was  the  seventh 
Earl.  Rothes  in  1667  was  appointed  Lord  Chancellor 
of  Scotland. 

On  loth  July,  1663,  an  extraordinary  speech  was 
made  in  the  House  of  Lords  by  the  Earl  of  Bristol, 
impeaching  Lord  Chancellor  Clarendon  as  the  cause 
why  the  King's  affairs  grew  worse  every  day;  and  for  the 
King  having  lost  the  honour  and  affection  of  his  people  ; 
that  he  had  arrogated  to  himself  the  direction  of  His 
Majesty's  affairs  at  home  and  abroad  ;  with  popery;  for 
selling  Dunkirk;  and  for  enriching  himself  and  his 
creatures  by  the  sale  of  offices.  Clarendon  made  an 
animated  defence,  contending  that  all  the  charges 


of  Cbatles  II.  215 

which  were  not  quite  frivolous  were  false ;  that  none  of 
them  amounted  to  treason;  and  that  an  impeachment  for 
treason  could  not  thus  be  commenced  by  one  peer  against 
another.  The  judges,  being  summoned  for  their  opinion, 
concurred  with  Clarendon,  and  the  Earl  of  Bristol  was 
censured  and  ordered  to  be  arrested.  This  speech  by 
Bristol  showed  the  rising  of  an  opposition  to  Clarendon 
which  ultimately  overpowered  him.1 

We  get  from  a  gossipy  writer  of  the  period2  an 
illustration  of  how  Charles  dissolved  Parliament : — "  On 
2/th  July,  1663,  the  King  sat  on  the  throne  and  read  his 
speech,  which  he  had  in  his  hand,  scarcely  looking  off 
all  the  time.  He  thanked  Parliament  for  the  subsidies, 
of  which,  had  he  not  need,  he  would  not  have  asked 
them  ;  that  need  not  being  from  any  extravagance  of 
his,  but  the  disorders  of  the  times  compelling  him  to 
be  at  greater  charge  than  he  hoped  for  the  future  by 
their  care  he  should  be.  For  his  family  expenses  he 
would  labour  to  retrench  in  many  things  convenient,  and 
would  have  others  to  do  so  too.  He  desired  that  old 
faults  should  not  be  remembered,  or  severity  for  the 
same  used  towards  anyone ;  it  being  his  desire  to  have 
all  forgotten  and  forgiven.  He  promised  that  though 
the  acts  about  conventicles  and  papists  were  not  ripe  for 
passing  this  session,  he  would  see  that  neither  of  them 
in  the  interval  should  be  encouraged  to  the  endangering 
of  the  peace  ;  and  that  at  their  next  meeting  he  would 
himself  prepare  two  bills  on  the  subject.  He  then 
prorogued  Parliament  to  i6th  March  following."  He 

1  The  King  minds  nothing  but  pleasure  and  hates  the  very  sight 
of  business  ;  Lady  Castlemaine  rules  him,  she  having  all  the  trickery 
of  Aretus.     If  any  of  the  sober  counsellors  give  him  good  advice 
and  move  him  in  anything  for  his  good,  the  others  who  are  the 
counsellors  of  pleasure  take  him  when  he  is  with  that  lady  and 
is  in  good  humour,  and  persuade  him  that  he  ought  not  to  hear  or 
listen  to  the   advice   of  those  old  dotards    who    were    hitherto 
his  enemies  ;   whom  God  knows,  it  is  they  who  most  study  his 
honour. — (Pepys.) 

2  Pepys. 


216  iRo^al  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 


spoke  imperfectly,  repeating  his  words  even  though  they 
were  written.1 

In  March,  1664,  Parliament  was  opened  by  the  King 
and  Queen  in  person.  Clarendon  was  not  present,  but 
he  is  said  to  have  prompted  the  King's  speech,  the 
substance  of  which  was  :  "  I  have  often  myself  read 
over  the  bill.2  ...  I  have  always  expected  that  you 
would,  and  even  wondered  that  you  have  not,  considered 
the  wonderful  clauses  in  that  bill.  I  need  not  tell  you 
how  much  I  love  Parliaments  ;  never  King  was  so  much 
beholden  to  Parliaments  as  I  have  been  ;  nor  do  I  think 
the  Crown  can  ever  be  happy  without  frequent  Parlia- 
ments. But  assure  yourselves,  if  I  should  think 
otherwise,  I  would  never  suffer  a  Parliament  to  come 
together  by  the  means  prescribed  by  that  bill."  A 
repealing  act  rapidly  passed  both  Houses,  providing 
that  Parliaments  should  not  be  intermitted  more  than 
three  years.3 

The  Dutch  war  was  now  undertaken  (1665),  from 
commercial  jealousy  of  the  English  nation,  and  from  the 
King's  hope  of  diverting  to  private  purposes  part  of 
the  supplies  voted  by  Parliament  for  carrying  it  on. 
Clarendon  opposed  this.  At  a  meeting  at  Clarendon's 
house,  he  being  laid  up,  Sir  George  Downey  ventured 
to  express  an  opinion  that  the  money  voted  should  be 
applied  to  particular  services,  instead  of  forming  separate 
funds,  to  be  applied  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Crown.  This 
drew  from  Clarendon  the  reprimand  that  "  it  was 
impossible  for  the  King  to  be  well  served  whilst 
fellows  of  his  condition  were  admitted  to  speak  as  much 

1  1n  October  the  Queen  was  laid  down  with  spotted  fever,  and  was 
very  ill,  being  as  full  of  spots  as  a  leopard.     The  King  hath  taken 
it  much  to  heart,  and  weeps  beside  her  ;  but  for  all  that,  he  has 
not  missed  one  night  since  she  was  sick  of  supping  with  Lady 
Castlemaine,  which  I  believe  is  true,  for  she  says  that  her  husband 
hath  dressed  the  suppers  every  night.     1  saw  him  myself  coming 
through  the  street  dressing  a  supper  to-night,  which  Sarah  says  is 
for  the  King  and  her.     The  Queen  recovered  from  her  fever.  — 
(Pepys's  Diary.) 

2  Triennial  Parliaments.  3  Campbell's  Lives. 


IRetgn  of  Gbarles  II.  217 

as  they  had  a  mind  to,  and  that  in  the  best  times  such 
presumption  had  been  punished  with  imprisonment  by 
the  Lords  of  the  Council."1  On  i5th  August,  1665, 
Parliament  voted  the  King  £1,250,000  to  pay  his  debts  ; 
a  similar  amount  had  been  voted  in  1661. 

Among  the  persecutions  of  1666  we  have  what  is 
known  as  the  battle  of  Rullion  Green.  The  circum- 
stances which  more  immediately  led  up  to  this 
engagement  are  narrated  by  one  of  our  historians.2  It 
would  appear  that  on  3Oth  November  four  countrymen, 
after  great  hardships,  arrived  at  the  village  of  Dairy, 
New  Galloway,  to  get  refreshment.  Near  that  place 
they  accidentally  met  with  three  or  four  soldiers  driving 
before  them  some  people  who  were  neighbours  to  a  poor 
old  man  there,  who  had  fled  from  his  house.  The 
object  of  the  soldiers  was  to  oblige  these  people  to 
thrash  the  old  man's  corn,  that  they  might  get  money  to 
satisfy  his  Church  fines.  Whilst  taking  their  refresh- 
ment, they  were  informed  that  the  old  man  was  caught, 
and  that  the  soldiers  were  going  to  torture  him.  The 
four  countrymen  went  to  the  spot.  There  was  a  scuffle, 
in  which  one  of  the  four  men  fired  a  pistol  and  wounded 
a  soldier.  This  made  them  yield,  and  the  four  men 
disarmed  the  soldiers,  made  them  prisoners,  and  set  the 
old  man  free.  There  were  twelve  soldiers  at  a  post 
close  by,  and  with  the  assistance  of  some  neighbours 
they  seized  these  men.  Volunteers  joined  the  little 
group  who  had  captured  the  soldiers  ;  they  increased 
rapidly  in  numbers  until,  it  is  said,  there  were  3,000 
of  them.  They  made  for  Edinburgh,  going  via 
the  Lanarkshire  hills,  after  which  they  ascended 
the  western  shoulder  of  the  Pentlands.  That  notable 
tyrant,  General  Thomas  Dalziel,  commander  of  the 
Royalists  in  Scotland,  hearing  of  this  rising,  went 
off  immediately  in  search  of  the  New  Galloway 
Covenanters. 

On  28th  November  they  came  to  close  quarters  at 
Rullion  Green,  Midlothian,and  after  a  desperate  struggle, 
1  Campbell's  Lives.  2  Hill  Burton. 


218  TRoEal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  Covenanters,  fifty 
of  them  were  slain,  upwards  of  thirty  taken  prisoners, 
all  of  whom  were  treated  with  cruelty  ;  twenty  were 
executed  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh,  ten  on  one 
gibbet,  seven  at  Ayr,  and  some  before  their  own  doors  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  The  heads  of  the  twenty 
were  placed  on  the  city  gates;  their  right  arms  on 
the  prison  of  Lanark,  where  they  had  subscribed  the 
Covenant.  They  all  with  their  dying  breath  declared 
that  they  had  taken  up  arms  solely  against  the  in- 
supportable tyranny  of  the  bishops.  Many  of  the 
captured  Covenanters  suffered  the  brutal  treatment  of 
the  boot,  a  diabolical  punishment.  At  this  period, 
Hugh  M'Kail  was  executed  (22nd  December,  1666). 
He  was  a  young  man  of  only  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
had  offended  the  ruling  powers  by  a  sermon  in  which 
he  declared  that  the  Church  of  Scotland  "  had  been 
persecuted  by  a  Pharaoh  on  the  throne,  a  Haman  in 
the  state,  and  a  Judas  in  the  Church."  He  concluded 
his  speech  on  the  scaffold  as  follows  :  —  "  Farewell, 
father  and  mother,  friends  and  relations  ;  farewell  the 
world  and  all  its  delights  ;  welcome  sweet  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Mediator  of  the  new  Covenant  ;  welcome  blessed 
Spirit  of  Grace,  the  God  of  all  consolation  ;  welcome 
glory,  welcome  eternal  hope,  and  welcome  death."  It  is 
said  that  there  was  such  a  lamentation  for  M'Kail  as  was 
never  known  in  Scotland,  and  that  there  was  not  one  dry 
cheek  in  all  the  street,  or  in  all  the  numberless  windows 
in  the  market-place.  The  effect  of  these  savage  cruelties 
was  so  injurious  to  the  Government  that  an  order  was 
sent  by  the  King  to  the  Privy  Council  to  stay  the 
executions  and  to  substitute  banishment. 

In  1666,  a  great  naval  battle  took  place  between  the 
English  and  Dutch  fleets,  which  lasted  some  days,  and 
was  fought  with  determined  courage  on  both  sides. 
The  Duke  of  Albemarle  and  Prince  Rupert  commanded 
the  English  with  seventy-four  sail  The  Dutch  fleet  of 
equal  strength  was  commanded  by  De  Ruyter  and  Van 
Tromp.  The  Dutch  had  the  best  of  it  in  the  early 


of  Gbarles  II.  219 

stages,  and  pursued  the  English  to  the  Thames.  Here 
the  English  were  reinforced,  and  in  the  engagement 
which  followed  the  Dutch  were  defeated.1  While 
negotiations  for  peace  were  going  on  the  Dutch  fleet 
crossed  the  Channel,  took  Sheerness,  burned  Chatham 
Dock-yard,  sank  several  ships  of  war  in  the  Thames, 
sailed  up  the  river  as  far  as  Gravesend,  and  after 
blockading  the  port  of  London,  withdrew  at  their  leisure 
to  their  own  harbour  (July,  1667).  The  peace  of  Breda 
soon  removed  the  apprehension  of  invasion,  but  the 
disgrace  which  the  nation  had  suffered  sank  deep  in  the 
public  mind.  The  people  credited  Clarendon,  the  Lord 
Chancellor,  with  being  the  cause  of  it  all.  When  the 
Dutch  fleet  reached  Gravesend,  a  mob  broke  the 
windows  of  his  new  house  in  Piccadilly,  and  painted 
a  gibbet  on  the  gate  with  the  words  : 

Three  sights  to  be  seen 

Dunkirk,  Tangiers,  and  a  barren  Queen. 

— Campbell's  Lives. 

This  year  Charles  fell  in  love  with  Miss  Stuart,  one 
of  the  Blantyre  family,  a  lady  of  great  beauty,  grand- 
daughter of  Walter,  first  Lord  Blantyre.  The  Duke  of 
Richmond  had  also  paid  his  respects  to  her.  Clarendon 
was  shocked  when  he  heard  of  the  King's  conduct, 
and  immediately  set  about  getting  the  lady  married 
clandestinely  to  the  Duke  to  save  the  King's  reputation. 
This  he  eventually  accomplished.  For  this  Charles 
never  forgave  him,  but  gradually  drew  away  from  his 
old  friend  and  benefactor.2 

1  Hume's  England. 

2  We  get  a  brief  insight  into  a  Court  ball  which  took  place  at 
Whitehall  on  the  Queen's  birthday,  i$th   November,  1666;   the 
house  grew  full  and  the  candles  light,  and  the  King  and  Queen 
and  all  the  ladies  sat.     It  was  a  brilliant  sight  to  see  Miss  Stuart 
in  black  and  white  lace,  and  her  head  and  shoulders  dressed  with 
diamonds  ;    similarly  were  many  ladies,  but    the   Queen   none- 
The  King  wore  his  rich  vest  of  some  rich  silk  and  silver  trimming  ; 
as  the  Duke  of  York  and  all  the  dancers  were,  some  of  cloth  of 
silver,  and  others  exceedingly  rich.     After  the  King  arrived,  he 


220  tRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

On  8th  December  1666,  the  King  gave  orders  to  the 
Lord  Chamberlain  to  send  to  play-houses  and  brothels 
and  bid  all  the  Parliament  men  who  were  there  to  go  to 
Parliament  presently.     It  was  a  proviso  of  the  Poll  Bill 
that  there  be  a  committee  of  nine  persons,  who  shall 
have  the  inspection  upon  oath  of  all  the  accounts  of 
the  money  given  and  spent  for  this  war.      The  King 
was  heard  to  say  that  he  would  dissolve  Parliament 
rather    than   pass   the    bill   with    this    proviso.      The 
King  lately  paid  ,£30,000  to  clear  the  debts  of  Lady 
Castlemaine ;  she  and  her  husband  had  parted  for  ever.1 
In    March,    1667,   the    Duke    of    Buckingham   was 
engaged     in     a     formidable     conspiracy    against    the 
person  and  government  of  Charles.      The  King  was 
exasperated    when     Buckingham's    treason    was    hrst 
announced    to    him,   and   a   proclamation   was   issued 
for    Buckingham's    apprehension.      Buckingham    con- 
cealed  himself    in    his    country   house    in    Yorkshire. 
Serjeant  Bearcroft  was  sent  there   to  arrest  him,  but 
the  Duchess,  who  knew  what  was  going  on,  set  out 
for  Yorkshire,  reaching  her  house  an  hour  before  the 
officer.     The  officer,  on  arrival,  found    the  door  shut 
against  him.     Next  day  he  was  allowed  to  search  the 
house,    but   the   Duke    had    escaped.      Three   months 
afterwards    the    Duke    surrendered,    and    was    put    in 
the     Tower,      brought     before     the      Privy     Council 
and  examined  in  presence  of  the  King,  to  whom  he 
was  very  submissive.     He  was  remanded  to  the  Tower, 
but   being   a   favourite   of  the   King,  he   was   shortly 
afterwards  set  at  liberty.2     Buckingham  and  the  King 
being  reconciled,  after    having    been    estranged  for  a 
considerable  period,  Buckingham  was  anxious  for  the 
formation  of  a  new  administration,  in  which  the  King 

took  the  Queen,  and  with  fourteen  more  couples,  danced  the 
"bransles.'3  The  ladies  were  all  dressed  in  rich  gowns  and 
petticoats,  with  abundance  of  diamonds  and  pearls.  After  the 
"  bransles  "  there  was  a  corant,  and  now  and  then  a  French  dance. 
The  spectacle  was  fascinating.  It  broke  up  at  midnight. — (Pepys.) 

1  Pepys's  Diary.  2  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


of  Gbavles  II.  221 

supported   him.      Clarendon's   influence    at    this   date 
was    on    the    decline.      Lady  Castlemaine  appears  to 
have  had  too  much  influence  over  the  King,  and  she 
insisted  on  his  requiring  Clarendon  to  deliver  up  the 
Great  Seal.     The  King  foolishly  obeyed  this  request, 
and  Clarendon   requested   an   audience  to  discuss  the 
matter.       This    took    place    on    26th    August,    1667. 
Clarendon   demanded    to    know   what    fault    he    had 
committed.     The  King  said  he  had  no  fault,  but  had 
adopted  this  plan   for  his  good,  and  that  taking  the 
Great     Seal     from     him     would     please     Parliament. 
Clarendon  replied  :  "  Your  Majesty  has  the  undoubted 
right  to  dispose  of  my  office    as    seems  best  and  to 
deprive  me  of  the  Great  Seal,  but  I  have  a  right  to 
defend   my   honour,    and    I    will   not   suffer   it   to   be 
believed    that    I    voluntarily    gave    up    the    Seal    as 
confessing  wrong ;   nor,  if  I    am    deprived  of  it,  will 
I   acknowledge  this   deprivation    to    be    done    in    my 
favour  or  in  order  to  do  me  good  ;    and  so  far  am  I 
from  fearing  the  justice  of  Parliament  that  I  renounce 
your  Majesty's  protection  or  interposition  towards  my 
preservation."      The   King :    "  You    have   not   enough 
reflected     on     the     power     of    Parliament     or    their 
hostility   to   you,   however    groundless    that   may  be, 
and  my  own  condition  of  the  recent  miscarriages  is 
such  that  I  cannot  dispute  with  them,  and  am  myself 
at  their  mercy."     Clarendon  :  "  Suffer  not  your  spirits 
to  fall  nor  yourself  to  be  dejected  about  the  formidable 
power  of  Parliament,  which  is  more  or  less  or  nothing, 
as  you  please  to  make  it.     It  is  yet  in  your  power  to 
govern  them,  but  if  they  find  it  is  theirs  to  govern  you, 
nobody  knows  what  the  end  will  be."     After  this  inter- 
view the  King  sent  Morrin,  his  Secretary  of  State,  to 
receive  the  Great  Seal  from  Clarendon,  which  Clarendon 
delivered  up.     Morrin  gave  it  to  the  King,  who  was 
in     Lady    Castlemaine's     apartment,    surrounded     by 
Clarendon's   enemies,   when   May,   one    of  them,   em- 
bracing His  Majesty's  knees,  exclaimed  :  "  Sir,  you  are 
now  a  King."     The  King   might  have  been  a  better 


222  fRo^al  tfoouse  of  Stuart 

man  if  his  ministers  had  spoken  to  him  as  independ- 
ently and  forcibly  as  Clarendon  did.  The  surrender 
of  the  Great  Seal  was  followed  by  the  impeachment 
of  the  Lord  Chancellor.1 

So  fell  the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  from  whose  fall  we 
may  date  the  beginning  of  all  the  misfortunes  which 
happened  afterwards,  and  the  decay  of  the  authority 
of  the  Crown.  He  performed  his  public  duties  with 
great  dexterity  and  fidelity. 

1  The  King  and  Lady  Castlemaine  are  parted  company.  She 
is  gone  away  and  is  pregnant,  and  swears  the  King  shall  own  the 
child.  She  will  have  it  christened  in  the  chapel  of  Whitehall  and 
owned  by  the  King  ;  or  she  will  bring  it  into  Whitehall  gallery 
and  murder  it  before  the  King's  face.  The  King  and  Court  were 
never  so  bad  as  they  are  now  for  gaming,  swearing,  women  and 
drinking,  and  all  vices.  On  2Qth  July  the  King  dissolved  Parlia- 
ment till  October,  at  which  the  House  was  much  dissatisfied,  as 
many  members  had  come  long  distances.  The  King's  attention 
was  taken  up  with  his  ladies.  There  was  a  considerable  volume 
of  business  to  do  had  Parliament  sat,  but  they  evidently  were 
resolved  to  vote  no  more  money  to  the  King  until  they  had  a 
proper  statement  of  what  he  had  already  got.  The  kingdom  was 
in  a  very  troubled  and  unsatisfactory  condition.— (Pepys's  Diary.) 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Clarendon's  Letter  to  the  Lords — Death  of  Clarendon — Expelled 
Clergy  restored — Charles  signs  Catholic  Treaty — Maitland  of 
Lauderdale — Curious  Statutes  of  Scottish  Parliament — Dis- 
missal of  Lord  Shaftesbury — King  ,£4,000,000  in  debt — Jesuit 
Conspiracy — Execution  of  Stafford  and  four  Priests — Murder 
of  Archbishop  Sharp — Defeat  of  Claverhouse  at  Drumclog — 
Battle  of  Bothwell  Brig — Covenanters  in  Greyfriars  Church- 
yard— Their  proclamation  against  the  King — Battle  of  Aird's 
Moss  and  execution  of  Cameron — King  dissolves  Oxford 
Parliament — The  Rye  House  Plot — Execution  of  Baillie  of 
Jerviswoode — Death  and  last  moments  of  the  King — His 
Character — His  natural  Children. 

REIGN  OF  CHARLES  II. 

A.D.    1649 — 1685. 

PARLIAMENT  reassembled  on  loth  October,  1667,  when 
the  King  referred  to  the  dismissal  of  Clarendon  in  these 
words  : — "  When  we  last  met  here  eleven  weeks  ago  I 
thought  fit  to  prorogue  Parliament  to  this  day,  resolving 
that  there  should  be  a  session  now,  and  to  give  myself 
time  to  do  some  things  I  have  since  done  which  I  hope 
will  not  be  unwelcome  to  you,  but  a  foundation  of 
greater  confidence  between  us  for  the  future."  There 
was  a  joint  address  from  both  Houses  on  this  occasion, 
in  the  following  terms: — "  We  are  grateful  to  you  for  your 
Majesty's  care  in  quickening  the  execution  of  the  act 
against  the  importation  of  foreign  cattle,  and  more 
especially  that  your  Majesty  hath  been  pleased  to  dis- 
place the  Lord  Chancellor,  and  remove  him  from  the 
exercise  of  public  trust  and  employment  in  the  affairs 
of  State."  The  King :  "  I  am  glad  the  things  I  have 
done  have  given  you  so  much  satisfaction  ;  and  for  the 
Earl  of  Clarendon,  I  assure  you  I  will  never  employ  him 
again."  The  House  of  Commons  very  injudiciously 

223 


224  IRopal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


resolved  to  impeach  Clarendon,  and  a  committee  to 
whom  it  was  referred  drew  up  an  indictment  of  seven- 
teen charges.  These  were  all  negatived  except  one, 
which  charged  him  with  betraying  the  King  to  the 
enemy  in  certain  negotiations.  This  very  general 
charge  was  carried  by  161  to  89,  but  the  House  of 
Lords  threw  it  out. 

The  treatment  of  Clarendon  by  the  English  Parlia- 
ment cannot  be  defended.  Considering  his  devoted 
services  to  the  King  and  to  the  nation  his  impeachment 
was  an  act  of  base  ingratitude.  The  Duke  of  York  sent 
a  message  to  him  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  be 
gone,  and  that  he  had  the  King's  word  for  all  that  had 
been  undertaken  by  the  bishop  of  Hereford.  Clarendon 
set  out  for  France  the  same  night  accompanied  by  his 
two  sons  and  two  other  friends,  crossed  London  Bridge, 
and  proceeded  to  a  small  port  on  the  Thames,  four  miles 
from  Woolwich,  named  Erith,  where  he  went  on  board 
a  small  vessel  which  was  waiting  for  him  and  crossed 
over  to  France.  An  eminent  writer1  says:  "I  must 
express  my  surprise  that  he  did  not  persist  in  his 
resolution  to  remain  and  face  the  accusation.  He 
owed  no  sacrifice  to  the  King  for  the  purpose  of 
extricating  the  Government  from  the  embarrassment 
in  which  they  were  placed  by  this  scandalous  pro- 
secution. He  had  a  reasonable  safeguard  from  violence 
in  the  firmness  of  the  House  of  Lords,  and  he  might 
have  braved  the  threat  of  sending  him  to  the  Tower  and 
bringing  him  to  trial  before  a  packed  tribunal." 

Clarendon  left  behind  him  a  letter  to  the  House  of 
Lords  containing  a  vindication  of  his  conduct,  conclud- 
ing: —  "I  most  humbly  beseech  your  lordships  that  I  may 
not  forfeit  your  favour  and  protection  by  withdrawing 
myself  from  so  powerful  a  prosecution,  in  the  hope 
that  I  may  be  able  hereafter  to  appear  and  make  my 
defence  when  His  Majesty's  justice,  to  which  I  shall 
always  submit,  may  not  be  obstructed  nor  controlled 
by  the  power  and  malice  of  those  who  have  sworn 
1  Campbell. 


of  Cbarles  II.  225 

my  destruction."  This  letter  was  received  with  dis- 
satisfaction, and  the  Commons  resolved  that  it  be  burned 
by  the  common  hangman.  They  sent  this  resolution 
to  the  Lords,  who  so  far  forgot  their  dignity  as  to 
concur.  This  pitiful  mode  of  showing  spite  against 
writings  which  perhaps  could  not  be  refuted  con- 
tinued in  fashion  for  a  century  after.  The  enemies  of 
Clarendon,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  King,  introduced 
a  bill  in  the  House  of  Lords  to  the  effect  that  unless 
he  returned  and  surrendered  himself  before  loth 
February,  1668,  he  was  to  be  banished  for  life,  disabled 
from  ever  again  holding  office,  subjected  if  he  afterwards 
returned  to  England  to  the  penalties  of  high  treason, 
and  rendered  incapable  of  pardon  without  the  consent 
of  both  Houses.  A  strong  protest  against  this  was 
signed  by  several  peers  on  the  ground  that  it  was 
unjust  to  punish  a  man  for  withdrawing,  against  whom 
no  legal  charge  had  been  brought.  .  .  .  The  bill 
encroached  on  the  Royal  prerogative  by  depriving  the 
King  of  the  power  to  pardon.  It  was  carried  in  the 
Commons  by  65  to  42.  Charles,  to  his  disgrace, 
supported  it  in  all  its  stages.  The  treatment  which 
Clarendon  received  from  the  King  during  the  last 
few  years  of  his  life  was  that  of  unqualified  and 
cruel  persecution.  When  Clarendon  arrived  in  France 
he  was  received  by  Louis  XIV.  with  every  mark  of 
distinction,  and  horses  and  carriages  placed  at  his 
disposal.  He  desired  to  go  to  Rouen,  and  when  half- 
way between  Dieppe  and  that  place  two  servants  rode 
up  to  him  and  handed  him  a  letter  from  the  French 
King  requiring  him  to  leave  French  territory  im- 
mediately. This  was  the  order  of  Charles,  which 
greatly  disconcerted  him.  Whether  by  accident  or 
design,  the  coach  which  conveyed  him  was  three  times 
overturned  before  reaching  Rouen  and  he  was  seriously 
bruised.  Here  he  was  informed  by  his  son,  who  sent 
him  a  copy  of  the  act,  that  Parliament  had  banished 
him  for  life,  branded  him  as  a  traitor,  unless  he 
surrendered  himself.  He  resolved  to  face  his  enemies, 

VOL.    II.  P 


226  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

and  at  once  set  out  for  England,  but  broke  down 
at  Calais  and  was  unable  to  proceed  further.  He 
lay  in  bed  for  some  weeks  ;  the  date  for  appearing 
in  England  had  gone  past,  and  he  was  now  a  banished 
man.  He  resolved  to  go  to  Avignon,  and  on  his  way 
there  slept  a  night  at  Evreux,  when  a  strange  scene 
occurred.  A  company  of  English  seamen  who  had 
been  employed  in  the  French  artillery  lay  in  the  town, 
and  when  they  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Clarendon,  whom 
they  had  heard  spoken  of  in  England  as  the  author  of 
the  bad  measures  which  enabled  the  Dutch  to  get  to 
Chatham,  and  the  person  who  had  applied  the  money 
voted  for  the  support  of  the  Navy  to  the  embellishment 
of  Dunkirk  House,  flocked  round  his  window,  declaring 
that  there  were  many  months'  arrears  due  to  them 
from  England,  and  that  they  would  make  him  pay  the 
whole  before  he  should  leave  the  place.  The  ring- 
leader entered  the  window,  threw  open  the  door,  and 
admitted  his  companions.  Clarendon  was  sitting  on  his 
bed,  and  was  knocked  down  and  stunned  by  a  blow 
on  the  head  from  the  flat  side  of  a  broad-sword.  They 
rifled  his  pockets,  broke  open  his  trunks,  and  plundered 
his  goods.  The  ringleader  protested  against  stabbing 
him  in  his  bedroom  as  conduct  unworthy  of  English 
seamen,  and  proposed  that  a  gibbet  should  be  erected 
in  the  courtyard  in  the  fashion  of  a  yard-arm,  from 
which  he  should  be  suspended.  They  were  in  the  act 
of  dragging  him  through  the  corridor  to  the  place  of 
execution  when  the  commanding  officer  arrived  and 
their  victim  was  rescued.  The  rioters  were  seized  by 
the  magistrates,  and  the  ringleader  and  two  others 
broken  on  the  wheel.1  Clarendon  afterwards  proceeded 
to  Montpellier,  where  he  remained  two  years  and 
completed  his  "  History  of  the  Rebellion." 

After  the  retirement  from  office  of  Lord  Clarendon, 
Charles's  Government  was  much  depreciated,  and  was 
composed  of  unprincipled  men  bent  upon  the  restora- 
tion of  Popery  and   absolute   monarchy.      Charles,  as 
1  Campbell's  Lives. 


of  Gbarles  II.  227 

usual,  was  requiring  money,  and  in  1668  basely 
accepted  pecuniary  gifts  and  a  pension  from  the 
French  Government  The  wretched  financial  condition 
into  which  the  Royal  House  of  Stuart  had  fallen  after 
the  cavaliers  were  defeated,  and  when  Charles  I.  was 
near  his  end,  is  scarcely  credible  without  looking  at  the 
facts  in  detail.  So  bad  was  the  Prince  of  Wales'  credit 
that  he  could  not  borrow  £200  of  a  banker  at  The  Hague, 
even  when  pledging  his  credit  with  that  of  his  brother, 
the  Duke  of  York  ;  so  that  it  required  the  additional 
bond  of  a  member  of  the  latter  Prince's  suite  to  per- 
suade another  man  of  business  to  advance  the  money.1 
We  have  the  assurance  that  the  Queen-mother  of 
England  (Henrietta  Maria)  was  living  with  her 
daughter,  the  Duchess  of  Orleans,  absolutely  without 
a  faggot  to  light  a  fire,  in  the  apartment  of  the  Louvre 
which  they  inhabited.2 

Clarendon,  in  1671,  wrote  to  the  King  "that  an  old 
man  who  had  served  the  Crown  above  thirty  years  in 
some  trust,  and  with  some  acceptation,  might  be  per- 
mitted to  end  his  days,  which  could  not  be  many,  in 
his  own  country  and  in  the  society  of  his  children." 


ist  September,  1667,  Ashburnham,  one  of  the  grooms  of  the 
bedchamber,  scolded  the  keeper  of  the  wardrobe  for  want  of  linen 
for  the  King's  person,  which,  he  said,  was  not  to  be  endured,  and 
that  the  King's  father  would  have  hanged  him  had  he  been  served 
so.  The  King  had  no  handkerchiefs,  and  but  three  bands  to  his 
neck.  The  keeper  pleaded  want  of  money  and  being  owing  the 
linen-draper  ,£5,000  ;  and  that  he  had  of  late  got  many  rich  things 
made  —  beds,  shirts  and  saddles  —  without  money,  but  that  he  could 
go  no  further.  He  said  it  was  the  grooms  taking  away  the  King's 
linen  at  the  quarter's  end  as  their  fee  which  made  this  great  want. 
They  all  run  away  at  quarter's  end  with  what  the  King  has,  and 
let  him  get  more  if  he  can.  —  (Pepys.) 

On  23rd  Ocbober,  1668,  the  King  was  intoxicated  at  Sassam, 
near  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  with  Sedley,  Buckhurst,  etc.,  the  night 
that  Lord  Arlington  came  there.  The  King  would  not  give  him 
an  audience,  or  could  not,  which  is  true,  for  it  was  the  night  that 
I  was  there  and  saw  the  King  go  up  to  his  chamber,  and  was  told 
that  he  had  been  drinking.  —  (Pepys.) 

2  Memoirs  of  Cardinal  Ritz. 


228  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

The  request  was  refused.  In  the  summer  of  1674  he 
moved  to  Rouen,  where  he  made  another  effort  to  be 
allowed  to  return  to  England  : — "  Seven  years  was  a 
time  prescribed  and  limited  by  God  Himself  for  the 
expiation  of  some  of  His  greatest  judgments,  and  it  is 
fully  that  time  since  I  have,  with  all  possible  humility, 
sustained  the  insupportable  weight  of  the  King's  dis- 
pleasure. Since  it  will  be  in  nobody's  power  long  to 
prevent  me  from  dying,  the  desire  of  a  place  to  die  in 
should  not  be  thought  a  great  presumption."  To  this 
pitiable  appeal,  Charles,  with  inexcusable  brutality, 
sent  no  answer.  Clarendon  died  at  Rouen  on  Qth 
December,  1674,  having  been  six  years  on  the  Con- 
tinent, a  few  months  after  the  date  of  this  letter.  He 
was  interred  beside  his  daughter,  the  Duchess  of  York, 
in  the  Royal  Chapel  of  Henry  VII.  in  Westminster 
Abbey. 

For  delicacy  of  observation  and  felicity  of  delineation 
of  the  characters  of  contemporaries,  Clarendon  has  been 
considered  without  a  rival.  In  his  conduct  we  have 
much  more  to  commend  than  to  censure.  His  early 
career  was  without  a  blemish  ;  and  it  is  only  in  con- 
sidering how  few  would  have  done  the  same,  that  we 
can  properly  appreciate  his  merit  in  seeking  to  gain 
distinction  by  the  liberal  practice  of  his  profession, 
instead  of  retiring  to  obscure  indolence  on  the  com- 
petence left  him  by  his  father.  His  efforts  at  the 
opening  of  the  Long  Parliament  for  the  punishment  of 
the  judges  and  the  correction  of  abuses,  showed  him  to 
be  a  sincere  friend  of  constitutional  freedom.  He  went 
over  to  the  King  at  a  time  when  the  disinterestedness 
of  his  motives  was  above  suspicion ;  and  the  sound 
advice  which  he  then  gave,  if  it  had  been  followed, 
would  either  have  warded  off  a  rupture  or  would  have 
probably  ensured  success  to  the  Royal  cause.  We 
shall  nowhere  find  better  illustrated  than  in  the  State 
Papers  he  then  wrote  the  sound  principles  of  repre- 
sentative government  and  limited  monarchy.  It  is 
impossible  to  defend  or  to  palliate  the  gross  breach 


1Ref0n  of  Cbarles  II.  229 

of  his  solemn  engagements  to  the  Presbyterians  or  his 
extreme  illiberality  in  the  matter  of  Church  discipline.1 

The  House  of  Commons  on  pth  May,  1668,  sat  till 
five  o'clock  next  morning  on  the  business  between  the 
Lords  and  them.  The  Commons  resolved  :  "  That  who- 
ever should  assist  in  the  execution  of  the  judgment  of 
the  Lords  against  the  East  India  Company  should  be 
held  betrayers  of  the  liberties  of  the  people  and  of  the 
privileges  of  the  House."  The  Lords  disapproved  of 
this,  and  debated  it  till  the  King  came  in  and  sent  for 
the  Commons,  when  the  Speaker  made  reference  to  the 
giving  of  a  grant  to  the  King  of  ^"300,000.  The  King 
made  a  short  speech,  which  he  read,  thanking  them  for 
this  money  which  he  said  he  believed  would  be  suffi- 
cient. He  was  sorry  for  the  difference  between  the  two 
Houses,  but  hoped  the  recess  would  put  them  into  a 
way  of  accommodation,  and  he  thereafter  adjourned 
Parliament  till  August.  The  King's  attention  was 
called  to  the  matter  of  the  ejected  clergy,  and  on 
7th  June,  1669,  authority  was  given  by  the  King  to 
permit  ejected  ministers  who  had  conducted  themselves 
peaceably  to  return  to  their  former  charges  if  v  acant 
and  to  preach  and  administer  ordinance  as  before.  If 
their  old  parishes  were  occupied,  patrons  were  allowed 
to  present  them  to  other  vacant  churches.  Only  forty- 
three  of  the  ejected  ministers  availed  themselves  of  this 
indulgence,  the  great  body  of  the  people  denouncing  it 
as  an  acknowledgment  of  Royal  supremacy  and  of  the 
erastian  powers  claimed  by  the  Privy  Council. 

A  meeting  of  the  Scottish  Parliament  was  held  in 
Edinburgh  on  i6th  October  following,  John,  Earl  of 
Lauderdale,  as  commissioner,  representing  the  King. 
This  Parliament  declared  that  the  external  govern- 
ment of  the  Church  was  an  inherent  right  of  the 
Crown,  and  that  the  King's  instructions  on  Church 
matters  should  have  the  force  of  law.  In  order  to 
ensure  this  maintenance  of  order,  it  was  ordained 
that  22,000  men  should  be  kept  constantly  armed  and 
1  Campbell's  Lives. 


230  TRopal  fbouse  of  Stuart 

disciplined,  and  at  any  time  be  able  to  march  into  any 
part  of  the  kingdom.  During  the  recess  of  Parliament 
the  Privy  Council  issued  a  severe  proclamation  against 
conventicles,  and  instructed  the  military  to  disperse  the 
meetings  and  arrest  the  ministers  and  principal  persons 
present ;  but  conventicles  went  on  in  spite  of  this  order. 
The  more  they  were  forbidden  and  punished,  the  more 
they  multiplied  and  grew,  and  in  the  course  of  time 
the  Communion  was  celebrated  to  great  audiences  in  the 
open  fields. 

The  English  resident  at  Brussels,  Sir  William  Temple, 
had  already  represented  to  his  Court  that  it  was  desir- 
able to  enter  into  an  engagement  with  Holland  for  the 
purpose  of  checking  the  progress  of  France.  He  was 
authorised  to  negotiate  with  Holland,  and  he  thereafter 
proceeded  to  The  Hague  when  he  came  to  a  common 
understanding  with  John  de  Witt,  the  Dutch  Prime 
Minister.  Sweden  was  induced  to  join  England  and 
Holland,  and  this  became  the  triple  alliance.  This 
alliance  was  a  serious  menace  to  the  French  King, 
and  its  first  result  was  to  restore  the  peace  of  Europe ; 
while  it  bound  the  leading  Protestant  states  together 
in  close  union.  Charles  was  not  in  sympathy  with 
this  alliance,  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  French 
King,  offered  to  declare  himself  a  Roman  Catholic, 
dissolve  the  triple  alliance,  and  join  with  France 
against  Holland,  if  France  would  engage  to  lend 
him  such  military  and  pecuniary  aid  as  would  make 
him  independent  of  Parliament.  The  French  King 
with  some  reluctance  agreed  to  this  proposal,  and,  it 
is  said — but  the  question  is  debatable — that  for  twenty 
years  his  machinations  were  effectual  in  minimising  the 
reputation  of  England  in  the  Councils  of  Europe.  One 
of  his  devices  was  to  send  over  to  the  English  Court  a 
handsome,  licentious,  and  crafty  Frenchwoman,  to  whom 
Charles  would  be  a  slave.  This  lady  duly  arrived,  was 
loaded  with  wealth,  and  obtained  a  dominion  over 
Charles  which  ended  only  with  his  life.  She  was 
created  Duchess  of  Portsmouth. 


of  Cbarles  II.  231 

In  1670  a  treaty  was  signed  at  Dover.  By  it  Charles 
bound  himself  to  make  public  profession  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion,  to  join  his  arms  to  those  of  France  so 
as  to  destroy  the  power  of  the  United  Provinces,  and  to 
employ  the  strength  of  England  in  supporting  the  House 
of  Bourbon  to  the  monarchy  of  Spain.  For  this  treaty 
the  King  himself  was  chiefly  responsible.  He  was  the 
person  who  first  suggested  the  most  treasonable  articles 
which  it  contained,  and  he  carefully  concealed  some  of 
these  from  the  majority  of  his  Cabinet.  Financial 
difficulties  again  became  serious,  and  a  war  with  the 
Dutch  could  only  be  carried  on  at  an  enormous  cost. 
The  goldsmiths  of  London  were  also  bankers,  and  were 
in  the  habit  of  advancing  large  sums  of  money  to  the 
Government.  In  return  for  these  advances  they  received 
assignments  of  the  revenue,  and  were  repaid  with  interest 
when  the  taxes  came  in.  Over  a  million  and  a  quarter 
sterling  had  been  in  this  way  lent  to  the  State.  On  a 
sudden  it  was  announced  that  it  was  not  convenient 
to  pay  the  principal  when  it  became  due,  and  that  the 
lenders  must  content  themselves  with  interest.  They 
were  consequently  unable  to  meet  their  own  engage- 
ments, and  the  Exchange  was  in  an  uproar.  Several 
great  mercantile  houses  failed,  and  much  distress 
prevailed.  Penal  laws  against  Roman  Catholics  were 
set  aside,  and  the  laws  against  Protestants  and  Non- 
conformists suspended.  War  was  proclaimed  against 
the  United  Provinces,  and  by  sea  the  Dutch  maintained 
the  struggle  with  honour,  but  on  land  they  were  at  first 
borne  down  with  irresistible  force.  A  French  army 
passed  the  Rhine,  and  fortress  after  fortress  opened  its 
gates.  Three  of  the  seven  Provinces  of  the  Federation 
were  occupied  by  the  invaders.  These  hostilities  were 
interrupted  by  the  death  of  William  of  Orange  the 
Stadtholder.  He  was  the  father  of  William  of  Orange, 
who  became  King  of  England  and  married  the  Princess 
Mary,  daughter  of  James  VII.  The  Commons  then 
extorted  the  King's  unwilling  consent  to  the  Test  Act, 
which  provided  that  all  persons  holding  any  office,  civil 


232  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

or  military,  should  take  the  oath  of  supremacy,  should 
subscribe  a  declaration  against  transubstantiation,  and 
publicly  receive  the  Sacrament  conform  to  the  Church 
of  England.  The  King  leaned  towards  our  system 
of  foreign  politics,  and  his  ministers  to  a  system 
diametrically  opposite.1 

Among  the  acts  of  the  Scottish  Parliament  passed  in 
1670  the  following  may  be  regarded  as  unique: — 

It  is  statute  and  ordained  that  none  of  His  Majesty's 
subjects  presume  to  offer  their  children  to  be  baptized 
by  any  other  than  our  parish  ministers,  or  such  ministers 
as  are  authorised  by  Government.     The  father  of  any 
child  which  shall  otherwise  be  baptized  shall  be  liable 
to  the  following  penalties  : — Every  heritor  in  a  fourth 
part   of  his   yearly   rent ;    merchants  in  ^100  Scots  ; 
tradesmen  and  tenants  £50  Scots  ;  small  burgess  traders 
and   cottars,   £20   Scots.     For   the   encouragement   of 
sheriffs,  all  fines  to  be  retained  by  them  except  those  of 
heritors,  for  which  they  are  to  account  to  the  Treasury  : 
Edinburgh,    i/th    August,    1670.     Parliament    further 
ordained  :  The  public  exercises  of  God's  worship  to  be 
countenanced  by  all  subjects  of  His  Majesty,  failing 
which  they  will,  by  the  censure  of  law,  be  made  sensible 
of  their  conduct,  and  by  the  authority  of  law  made  to 
obey.     His   Majesty,  with  the  Estates  of  Parliament, 
commands  and  ordains   all   subjects   of  the   reformed 
religion  within   the   kingdom   to   attend   the  ordinary 
meetings  appointed  for  worship  in  the  parish  churches  ; 
declaring  that  every  such  person  who  shall  three  Lord's 
days   together   absent  themselves   without   reasonable 
excuse  shall  be  liable  in  the  following  penalties,  viz. : — 
Every  person  having  land,  in  the  eighth  part  of  his 
yearly  rent ;  every  tenant  in  £6  Scots  ;  every  cottar  or 
servant  in  403.   Scots ;    those  above   the   degree   of  a 
tenant  who  have  personal  estate  £12  Scots  ;  merchants 
£12  Scots  ;  inferior  merchants  and  tradesmen  £6  Scots. 
The  act  to  be  administered  by  the  sheriffs  ;  all  fines  to 
1  Macaulay. 


' 

- 


IReign  of  Cbarles  II.  233 

be  retained  by  them  except  those  of  heritors,  which 
they  will  account  for  to  the  Treasury.  Persons  absent- 
ing themselves  for  one  year  to  appear  before  the  Privy 
Council  and  sign  a  bond.  The  act  to  be  in  operation 
for  three  years. 

In   1669  John  Maitland,  first  Duke  of  Lauderdale, 

was   appointed    High    Commissioner  for  the  King  in 

Scotland,   and   his   administration   extended   to    1682, 

when    he    finally   retired   from   office.      During  these 

thirteen  years  there  was  nothing  but  persecution  going 

on  in'Scotland,  persecution  of  the  most  brutal  description 

against  the  Covenanters.     Maitland  professed  to  be  a 

Presbyterian  and  a  Covenanter,  but  he  was    a   mere 

creature  of  the  King,  and  this  overshadowed  everything 

else.     He  is  responsible  for  the  cruel  executions  that 

took  place  in  Scotland  during  that  period.     Maitland 

was  a  big  man  with  red  hair  hanging  oddly  about  him  ; 

his  tongue  was  too  big  for  his  mouth  ;  and  his  whole 

manner  is  said  to  have  been  unfitted  for  a  Court.     He 

was  loud  and  coarse  both  in  mirth  and  anger,  and  was, 

perhaps,  under  the  outward  show  of  boisterous  frankness, 

the  most  public  man  in  that  notable  cabal  (Clifford, 

Arlington,  Buckingham,  Ashley,  Lauderdale).    Maitland 

was    a    rude,   blustering,   passionate   man,   with   what 

Buckingham  called  "  a  blundering  understanding."     He 

would  talk  with  jocularity  of  the  days  when  he  was 

himself  a  traitor  and  rebel.     He  was  then   the   chief 

instrument    employed    by  the   King   in   the   work   of 

forcing  Episcopacy  on  his  countrymen.     Nor  did  he  in 

that  cause  shrink  from  unsparing  use  of  the  sword,  the 

halter  and  the  boot.     Maitland  married  a  second  wife, 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Dysart,  who  was 

widow  of  William  Tolmash  of  the  household  of  Charles  I. 

This  lady  was  a  great  personality,  known  for  her  beauty, 

her  wit,  and  her  accomplishments;  extravagant  in  money, 

venal  and  rapacious,  having  a  violent  temper  and  restless 

ambition.     She  acquired  a  complete  ascendancy  over 

Maitland,   and    it    is   said   that   by  her  violence   and 


234  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

rapacity  she  degraded  his  character  and  government  in 
public  estimation.1  To  satisfy  her  ravenous  greed  for 
money  the  most  important  offices  were  put  up  for  sale, 
and  the  Privy  Council  and  Courts  of  Justice  were  filled 
with  her  husband's  creatures.2  Maitland,  in  addition  to 
being  Lord  High  Commissioner  to  the  Scottish  Parlia- 
ment, was  President  of  the  Council,  a  lord  of  the 
Treasury,  Governor  of  Edinburgh  Castle,  and  an  extra- 
ordinary Lord  of  Session.  The  revenues  of  the  Crown 
were  engrossed  by  Maitland  and  his  satellites,  and 
though  augmented  by  an  assessment  of  £72,000  were 
insufficient  for  his  wants.  His  salary  is  said  to  have 
been  £16,000  per  annum,  and  the  donations  which  he 
received  amounted  to  £26,000.  A  most  lucrative  source 
of  income  was  the  penalties  imposed  upon  those  who 
were  found  guilty  of  attending  conventicles.  In  1682 
he  was  accused  of  having  been  concerned  in  the  surrender 
of  Charles  I.  to  the  English  Parliament,  and  was  branded 
as  a  traitor.  He  thereupon  fell  into  disgrace,  was 
stripped  of  all  his  offices  and  pensions,  and  died  the 
same  year  at  Tunbridge  Wells. 

In  1674,  under  Lauderdale's  administration,  all  heritors 
and  masters  were  declared  responsible  for  their  tenants 
and  servants  ;  and  by  an  act  of  council  in  1677  they 
were  required  to  sign  a  bond  for  the  loyal  behaviour  of 
all  persons  residing  on  their  lands.  Many  nobles  and 
gentlemen  refused  to  come  under  this  obligation.  This 
was  followed  in  February,  1678,  by  a  force  of  9,000 
troops  being  introduced  into  Ayrshire  with  instructions 
to  take  up  free  quarters  wherever  they  might  find  it 
convenient.3  This  force  was  to  compel  obedience  to 
this  statute,  or,  in  other  words,  "  to  exact  the  bond." 
The  Government  demanded  security  by  "  Law  burrows  " 
from  those  who  refused  to  take  the  bond.  The  troops, 
however,  failed  in  their  mission,  gained  fines,  and 
created  great  dissatisfaction.  The  career  of  Lauderdale 
came  practically  to  a  close  with  the  battle  of  Bothwell 
Bridge  in  1679. 

i  Taylor.        _2  Hill  Burton.  Lauderdale  Papers 


of  Cbarles  II.  235 

Lord  Shaftesbury  was  in  1672  appointed  Lord 
Chancellor  of  England,  and  during  his  term  of  office 
the  political  atmosphere  was  fully  charged.  It  was  a 
time  of  much  excitement,  and  the  chief  cause  of  that 
excitement  was  the  introduction  into  Parliament  of  the 
Exclusion  Bill,  a  bill  to  exclude  the  King's  brother, 
James,  Duke  of  York,  from  the  succession  because  he 
was  a  Catholic.  A  section  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
not  an  inconsiderable  section,  was  heartily  tired  and 
worn-out  with  the  behaviour  of  Charles,  and  they  meant 
to  protect  themselves  against  such  administration  being 
continued  by  his  successor  to  the  crown.  They  believed 
that  of  the  two  brothers  James  was  the  most  insufferable. 
The  debates  which  took  place  in  both  Houses  around 
this  bill  are  beyond  our  limits. 

In  1673  Charles  resolved  to  dismiss  Lord  Shaftesbury, 
the  Lord  Chancellor  and  Keeper  of  the  Great  Seal. 
Sunday,  pth  November,  1673,  before  chapel  at  White- 
hall, was  fixed  for  the  transfer  of  the  Great  Seal  to  the 
Attorney  -  General,  Sir  Heneage  Finch.  As  soon  as 
Shaftesbury  arrived,  he  retired  with  the  King  into  the 
closet ;  the  first  salutation  being  over,  he  said  to  the 
King  : — "  Sir,  I  know  you  intend  to  give  the  Seal  to 
the  Attorney  -  General,  but  I  am  sure  your  Majesty 
never  designed  to  dismiss  me  with  contempt."  The 
King :  "  Odds  fish,  my  lord,  I  will  not  do  it  with  any 
circumstance  as  may  look  like  an  affront."  Shaftesbury: 
"Then,  sir,  I  desire  your  Majesty  will  permit  me  to 
carry  the  Seals  before  you  to  chapel,  and  send  for 
them  afterwards  to  my  house."  To  this  the  King 
agreed,  and  Shaftesbury  entertained  him  with  stories 
till  the  very  minute  he  was  to  go  to  chapel,  purposely 
to  amuse  the  courtiers  and  his  successor,  who  were  on 
the  rack  for  fear  he  should  prevail  on  the  King  to 
change  his  mind.  The  King,  and  the  Chancellor,  still 
holding  the  purse,  came  out  of  the  closet  talking 
together  and  smiling,  and  walked  together  to  chapel 
without  an  opportunity  being  given  to  the  King  to 
say  a  word  to  any  of  the  bystanders.  They  were 'in 


236  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

consternation,  and  some  went  to  declare  to  the  Duke 
of  York  that  their  scheme  had  broken  down,  while  the 
Attorney  -  General,  it  is  said,  nearly  fainted  away. 
Shaftesbury  carried  the  Seal  to  his  house  after  chapel 
service.  The  King  sent  for  it,  and  Shaftesbury  gave 
it  up  with  an  air  of  cheerfulness,  saying :  "It  is  only 
laying  down  my  gown  and  putting  on  my  sword,"  and 
he  at  once  buckled  on  his  sword.1 

In  1675  Charles  made  the  startling  announcement  to 
Parliament  that  he  was  four  millions  in  debt  for  the 
expenses  of  the  State  and  his  own  necessities,  besides 
vast  sums  due  to  goldsmiths  and  bankers.  The  ques- 
tion of  granting  him  a  supply  was  put  to  the  vote,  and 
negatived  by  a  majority  of  four.  Parliament  by  this 
time  was  dissatisfied  with  his  foolish  expenditure,  and 
his  facility  of  getting  into  debt,  and  this  feeling  may 
account  for  this  adverse  vote.  It  is  recorded  that 
upwards  of  £30,000  sterling  was  exacted  from  ten 
gentlemen  in  the  county  of  Renfrew  in  three  years  to 
help  the  King's  finances,  and  of  these  Sir  George 
Maxwell,  for  three  years  absence  from  the  parish 
church,  attending  at  a  conventicle  during  that  time, 
and  for  three  baptisms  in  his  family,  had  incurred 
penalties  amounting  to  nearly  ^"9,000.  In  every 
department  of  the  Government  corruption  was  openly 
practiced  ;  unprincipled  men  appointed  as  judges  and 
elevated  to  the  bench.  It  was  enough  if  they  were 
creatures  of  Lauderdale.  Trade  and  commerce  were 
in  the  same  deplorable  condition  ;  Lauderdale  granted 
monopolies  on  articles  of  commerce  for  a  consideration, 
while  the  Provost  of  Edinburgh  on  one  occasion,  in 
consideration  of  a  handsome  present  to  Lauderdale, 
received  a  gift  of  the  duties  on  ale  and  wine  consumed 
in  the  city.2 

Coming  down  to  the  year  1678,  there  is  a  good  story 

told   of   the   Methven   family.      Patrick    Smythe,   the 

proprietor,  was   in   London.      A  large  meeting  of  the 

Covenanters — a  conventicle — composed  of  the  citizens 

1  Campbell's  Lives.  2  Taylor. 


ot  Cbarles  II.  237 

of  Perth  and  people  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  took 
place  at  Methven  Wood.  Mrs.  Smythe,  at  the  head  of 
sixty  followers,  and  with  a  cocked  pistol  in  one  hand 
and  a  sword  in  the  other,  appeared  on  the  scene.  The 
Covenanters  asked  her  intentions,  and  she  replied  that 
"  unless  they  left  her  husband's  grounds  instantly  it 
would  be  a  bloody  day,"  to  which  the  reply  was,  "  That 
they  were  determined  to  preach  whether  she  agreed  or 
not."  They,  however,  to  save  bloodshed,  removed  from 
the  grounds  to  an  adjoining  field,  where  they  held  their 
meeting.  Mrs.  Smythe  was  a  lady  of  great  force  of 
character,  and  this  incident  indicated  her  fearless  and 
resolute  nature.  She  was  one  of  the  family  of  Keith, 
the  Earl  Marischal,  and  possessed  her  full  share  of  the 
determination  and  courage  which  belonged  to  that 
distinguished  family. 

The  correspondence  of  this  lady  with  her  husband 
when  this  extraordinary  incident  occurred  will  convey  a 
better  idea  of  the  circumstances  to  the  mind  of  the 
reader.  The  first  letter  is  dated  October,  1678,  and  is 
as  follows  : — 

To  the  Laird  of  Methven  at  London. 

"MY  PRECIOUS  LOVE, — In  answer  to  your  frequent 
desires  to  keep  your  command '  free  of  disorderly 
people,  as  I  wrote  formerly  to  you,  we  were  tormented 
with  a  field  conventicle,  which  came  betwixt  Cultma- 
lundie  and  Gask's  ground.  The  Monday  after  their 
coming,  I  caused  try  who  had  been  there  of  our  con- 
cern. Only  two  women,  the  one  a  vassal's  wife,  who 
promised,  to  the  Provost  and  me,  not  to  go  again  ;  the 
other  a  widow  in  Needburn.  She  had  nobody  to  bid 
for  her.  I  called  court,  and,  in  the  King's  Majesty's 
name  and  yours,  conjured  them  not  to  break  the  laws 
and  statutes  of  this  nation,  under  the  pains  of  rigour  of 
punishment.  There  is  none  on  your  ground  gone  since. 
Had  Tippermallo,  and  Balgowan  the  tutor,  and  the  rest, 

1  Smythe  of  Methven  was  Lord  of  that  regality. 


238  IRo^al  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 

taken  such  course,  we  had  been  timelier  free  of  them. 
I  caused  hold  a  court  in  our  own  hall ;  and  the  one 
wife  had  not  money  to  pay  the  officer  for  summoning 
her.  I  caused  her  deliver  her  apron  till  she  should  pay. 
It  has  lately  come  to  my  hearing  that  some  of  the  poor 
vassal  men  have  been  here.  With  the  next  ye  shall 
have  notice  of  my  handling  them  to  the  length  of 
justice.  The  Provost l  told  those  who  spoke  with  him 
in  that  affair,  if  every  master  kept  as  strict  an  eye  over 
their  ground  as  you  allow  me  to  do,  there  should  be  no 
conventicles  in  the  land.  They  are  an  ignorant,  wicked 
pack.  The  Lord  God  clear  the  nation  of  them.  I  am 
your  faithful  depute,  to  the  power  of 

ANNE  KEITH. 

The  next  letter  proceeds  : — 

METHVEN  WOOD,  i$th  October,  1678. 

"MY  PRECIOUS  LOVE, — A  multitude  of  men  and 
women,  from  east,  west  and  south,  came,  the  I3th  day 
of  this  October  (1678),  to  hold  a  field  conventicle,  two 
bows  draught  above  our  church.  They  had  their  tent 
set  up  before  the  sun,  upon  your  ground.  I,  seeing 
them  flocking  to  it,  sent  through  your  ground,  and 
charged  them  to  repair  to  your  brother  David,  the 
bailie,  and  me,  to  the  castle  hill,  where  we  had  sixty 
armed.  Your  brother,  with  drawn  sword  and  bent 
pistol,  I  with  the  light  horseman's  piece  bent,  on  my 
left  arm,  and  a  drawn  tug  (long  narrow  sword)  in  my 
right  hand,  all  our  servants  well-armed,  marched  for- 
ward, and  kept  the  one-half  of  them  fronting  with  the 
other,  that  were  guarding  their  minister,  and  their 
tent,  which  is  their  standard.2  That  rear  party  that 
we  yoked  with,  most  of  them  were  St.  Johnston  people. 
Many  of  them  had  no  will  to  be  known,  but  rode  off, 
to  see  what  we  would  do.  They  marched  towards 

1  Provost  of  the  Collegiate  Church  of  Methven. 

2  It  showed  great  generalship  in  the  lady  thus  to  divide  the 
superior  forces  of  the  enemy. 


TReicjn  of  Cbarlcs  II.  239 

Busbie.  We  marched  betwixt  them,  and  gained  ground 
before  they  could  gather  in  a  body.  They  sent  off  a 
party  of  100  men  to  see  if  we  meant  to  hinder  them 
to  meet.  We  told  them  that  if  they  would  not  go  from 
the  parish  of  Methven  presently  it  would  be  a  bloody 
day ;  for  I  protested,  as  also  your  brother,  before  God, 
that  we  would  wear  our  lives  upon  them,  before  they 
should  preach  in  our  regality  or  parish.  They  said 
they  would  preach.  We  charged  them  either  to  fight 
or  fly.  They  held  a  council  among  themselves  what  to 
do.  At  last,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  they 
said  they  would  go  away,  if  we  would  let  the  squadron 
that  was  above  the  church,  with  the  tent,  march  freely 
after  them.  We  were  content  ;  knowing  they  were  ten 
times  as  many  as  we  were,  and  our  advantage  was, 
keeping  the  one-half  a  mile  from  the  other,  by  marching 
in  order  betwixt  them.  They  seeing  we  were  desperate, 
marched  over  the  River  Pow.  And  so  we  went  to  the 
church,  and  heard  a  feared  minister  preach  ! '  They  have 
sworn  not  to  stand  such  an  affront,  but  have  resolved  to 
come  the  next  Lord's  Day  :  and  I,  in  the  Lord's  strength, 
intend  to  accost  them  with  all  who  will  come  to  assist 
us.  I  have  caused  your  officer  to  warn  a  solemn  court 
of  vassals,  tenants  and  all  within  our  power,  to  meet  on 
Thursday  ;  when  I  intend,  if  God  will,  to  be  present  ; 
and  there  to  order  them  in  God,  and  our  King's  name, 
to  convene  well-armed  in  the  kirkyard  on  Sabbath 
morning  by  eight  o'clock ;  where  your  brother  and  I, 
with  all  our  servant-men,  and  others  we  can  muster, 
shall  march  to  them  ;  and,  if  the  God  of  heaven  will, 
they  shall  either  fight  or  go  out  of  the  parish.  But 
alas  !  there  is  no  parish  about  us  will  do  the  like ;  which 
discourages  our  poor  handful.  Yet  if  all  the  heritors  in 
the  parish  be  loyal  and  stout,  we  will  have  500  men  and 
boys  who  may  carry  arms.  I  have  written  to  your 
nephew,  the  Treasurer  of  Edinburgh,  to  send  me  two 
brass  hagbuts  if  found,  and  that  by  the  bearer.  If 
they  come  next  Saturday,  I  will  have  them  with  us. 
1  i.e.,  the  terrified  minister  of  the  parish. 


240  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

My  love,  present  my  humble  duty  to  my  Lord  Marquis 
of  Montrose,  and  my  lady.  Likewise  all  our  friends. 
And,  my  blessed  love,  comfort  yourself  in  this — if  the 
fanatics  chance  to  kill  me,  it  shall  not  be  for  nought.  I 
was  wounded  for  our  gracious  King  ;  and  now,  in  the 
strength  of  the  Lord  God  of  heaven,  I'll  hazard  my 
person  with  the  men  I  may  command,  before  these 
rebels  rest  where  ye  have  power.  Sore  I  miss  you, 
but  now  more  than  ever.  God  give  the  blessing  is 
the  prayer  of  your  ANNE  KEITH. 

In  January,  1679,  the  English  Parliament,  which  had 
been  in  existence  ever  since  the  beginning  of  1661,  was 
dissolved,  and  writs  were  issued  for  a  General  Election. 
During  some  months  the  contention  over  the  country 
was  fierce  and  obstinate ;  horses  were  hired  at  great 
cost  for  the  conveyance  of  voters  ;  dissenting  ministers, 
who  had  long  hidden  themselves  in  quiet  nooks  from 
persecution,  now  emerged  from  their  retreats  and  rode 
from  village  to  village  for  the  purpose  of  rekindling 
the  zeal  of  churchgoers.  The  tide  ran  strong  against 
the  Government.  The  courts  of  justice  were  disgraced 
by  wilder  passions  and  fouler  corruptions  than  were  to 
be  found  even  on  the  hustings.  The  new  Parliament 
met,  and  they  were  convinced  that  the  only  effectual 
way  of  securing  the  liberties  and  religion  of  the  realm 
was  to  exclude  the  Duke  of  York  (James  VII.)  from 
the  throne.  Shaftesbury  was  elected  President  of  the 
Council.  On  26th  May,  Charles,  without  previous 
notice,  and  a  few  weeks  after  he  had  publicly 
announced  that  he  would  take  no  step  without  the 
advice  of  his  Council,  went  down  to  the  House  of 
Lords  and  prorogued  Parliament,  because  he  was  not 
getting  his  own  way.  On  that  day  the  Habeas  Corpus 
Act  received  the  Royal  assent.  The  prorogation  was 
followed  by  a  dissolution  and  another  General  Election. 

In  the  matter  of  the  succession,  there  is  a  letter 
from  Charles  II.,  dated  Whitehall,  3rd  March,  1679, 
in  which  he  says : — 


of  Gbarles  II.  241 

For  the  avoiding  of  any  dispute  which  may  happen 
in  time  to  come  concerning  the  succession  to  the  crown, 
I  do  here  declare  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God  that 
I  never  gave  nor  made  any  contract  of  marriage,  nor 
was  married  to  any  woman  whatsoever,  but  to  my 
present  wife,  Queen  Catherine,  now  living. 

CHARLES  R. 

As  illustrating  the  customs  of  the  period,  Shaftesbury, 
on  i/th  November,  1679,  got  up  a  curious  pageant  to 
commemorate  the  accession  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  First 
appeared  a  bellman,  with  a  slow  and  solemn  pace,  ex- 
claiming at  intervals  in  a  sepulchral  tone :  "  Remember 
Godfrey." l  Next  came  a  representation  of  the  body 
of  the  murdered  magistrate;  then  followed  nuns,  monks, 
priests,  Catholic  bishops,  Protestant  bishops,  six  cardinals 
in  red  hats,  and  last  of  all  the  Pope,  in  a  litter, 
attended  by  Arch  -  Chancellor  the  Devil.  The  pro- 
cession having  marched  through  the  city  at  night, 
amidst  the  glare  of  several  thousand  flambeaux,  the 
whole  population  turning  out  to  witness  it,  halted  at 
Temple  Bar,  when,  at  a  given  signal,  the  Pope 
and  his  attendants  were  precipitated  into  the  flames, 
with  a  shout  the  echo  of  which,  according  to  the 
account  published  by  Shaftesbury's  orders,  reached, 
by  continued  reverberations,  to  Scotland  and  France 
and  Rome  itself,  damping  them  all  with  dreadful 
astonishment. 

Before  the  new  Parliament  was  suffered  to  meet  for 
the  despatch  of  business  a  whole  year  elapsed — an 
eventful  year ;  never  before  had  political  controversy 
been  carried  on  with  so  much  freedom.  It  was  main- 
tained that  the  constitution  and  religion  of  the  State 

1  Sir  Edmundsbury  Godfrey  was  an  eminent  Justice  of  the 
Peace  who  had  taken  the  depositions  of  Titus  Dates  against 
Colman,  a  Catholic.  Godfrey  disappeared,  and  his  body  was 
found  in  a  field  near  London.  It  is  supposed  the  Catholics 
assassinated  him.  The  body  was  exhibited  during  several  days 
to  the  gaze  of  great  multitudes,  and  then  committed  to  the  grave 
"  with  strange  and  terrible  ceremonies." 

VOL.    II.  Q 


242  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


would  never  be  secure  under  a  Popish  King,  while 
others  maintained  that  the  right  of  James  to  wear  the 
crown  was  derived  from  God,  and  could  not  be  annulled. 
The  citizens  of  London  assembled  by  tens  of  thousands 
to  burn  the  Pope's  effigy,  while  the  Government  posted 
cavalry  at  Temple  Bar  and  placed  ordnance  around 
Whitehall.  All  this  was  in  connection  with  the 
Exclusion  Bill. 

Shaftesbury's  determination  to  get  the  bill  passed 
irritated  Charles,  and  in  1680  he  was  removed  from 
the  office  of  President  of  the  Council.  He  thereupon, 
in  due  form,  submitted  to  a  Grand  Jury  in  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench,  "  A  presentment  against  his  Royal 
Highness,  James,  Duke  of  York,  as  a  Popish  recusant," 
whereby  it  was  alleged  that  James  had  forfeited  two- 
thirds  of  his  property  and  was  liable  in  heavy  penalties 
and  disabilities.  The  jury,  however,  were  discharged 
and  James  ordered  to  return  to  Edinburgh.  Some 
time  after,  the  Exclusion  Bill  was  again  introduced 
by  Shaftesbury,  passed  through  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  went  to  the  Lords.  The  King,  it  is  said,  warmly 
espoused  the  cause  of  his  brother  and  openly  canvassed 
for  votes  in  his  favour  and  against  the  bill.  The  bill 
was  thrown  out  of  the  Lords  by  sixty-three  against 
thirty. 

Shaftesbury,  much  irritated  at  this  result,  brought  in 
a  bill  to  dissolve  the  King's  marriage  with  Catherine 
of  Portugal,  as  it  was  known  she  could  have  no 
children,  and  thinking  it  might  lead  to  a  quarrel 
between  the  two  brothers  ;  but  the  King  opposed 
the  bill,  and  Shaftesbury  withdrew  it.  In  a  few 
days  Parliament  was  prorogued  and  writs  issued  for 
a  new  Parliament  to  assemble  at  Oxford,  at  the  King's 
request.  Shaftesbury  was  opposed  to  changing  the 
place  of  meeting. 

One  of  the  remarkable  events  in  the  reign  of  Charles 
was  what  was  called  the  "Jesuit  Conspiracy"  against 
his  life,  and  the  famous  trials  which  took  place  at  the 
Old  Bailey  and  Westminster  Hall  in  connection  with 


1Rei0n  of  Cbarles  II.  243 

the  matter.  The  dissolute  and  useless  life  that  Charles 
was  leading  would  doubtless  encourage  the  plot.  It  was 
got  up  and  championed  by  Titus  Gates,  the  greatest 
ruffian  who  figures  during  Charles's  reign,  but  his  real 
character  was  not  known  till  1685,  when  Lord  Jefferies, 
who  tried  him  for  perjury,  inflicted  an  eminently 
deserved,  but  characteristic,  sentence  and  punishment 
upon  him,  which  he  endured  till  the  arrival  of  the  Prince 
of  Orange  in  1688.  The  unfortunate  feature  about  this 
conspiracy  was  the  number  of  absolutely  innocent 
persons  cruelly  executed,  on  the  ipse  dixit  of  this  ruffian 
and  his  companions,  the  evidence,  which  was  false,  not 
being  suspected  at  the  time.  The  Jesuit  Fathers,  who 
supported  the  plot,  acquired  a  fund  of  £10,000  to  enable 
them  to  carry  it  out,  but  it  failed  from  a  variety  of 
causes,  and  finally  was  disclosed  by  some  of  those  in  the 
secret,  and  collapsed. 

The  trials  took  place  in  1678  and  1679,  and  were 
spread  over  some  months.  During  these  two  years 
no  less  than  twenty-seven  State  trials  took  place  for 
treason  arid  murder,  involving  fifty-two  persons,  most 
of  whom  were  executed.  These  included  that  of  the 
aged  Lord  Stafford,  and  other  four  peers,  whose  trial 
took  place  in  Westminster  Hall  on  3Oth  November, 
1680.  After  a  protracted  trial,  extending  over  several 
days,  Stafford  was  condemned  to  death  by  a  majority, 
and  on  2pth  December  following  was  executed  on 
Tower  Hill,  protesting  to  the  last  his  unqualified 
innocence,  as  well  as  his  profound  ignorance  of  the 
entire  plot.  Among  the  unfortunate  men  employed  by 
Gates  and  other  Jesuits  to  accomplish  this  diabolical 
deed,  were  Richard  Strange,  who,  with  four  companions, 
were  brought  up  for  trial  in  1678.  Their  indictment 
consisted  of  no  less  than  eighty-one  counts  or  charges, 
one  of  which  stated  that  in  the  month  of  July,  1678 
Richard  Ashley  came  to  London  with  instructions  from 
Thomas  Whitbread  to  the  effect  that  the  £10,000 
procured  by  Father  Lister,  and  then  in  the  hands  of  the 
Jesuit  Society  in  London,  should  be  put  into  the  hands 


244  fRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

of  Worsley,  their  banker ;  and  that  Ashley,  with  other 
Fathers,    should    treat    and    agree    with    Sir    George 
Wakeman  about   the  matter  of  poisoning   the  King; 
and  that,  if  he  would    undertake   it,  he   should  have 
the  £10,000.     At  the  Old  Bailey  on   I3th  June,  1679 
another  lot  of  prisoners  was  brought  up  for  the  same 
crime :    these   were   Whitbread    and    four    others,   all 
Jesuit  priests.     The  case  will  be  best  understood  from 
the  opening  speech  of  the  King's  counsel,  who,  in  course 
of  his   remarks,  said: — "On    24th   April,    1678,   these 
persons  and  several  others  assembled  about  matters  of 
their  own,  and  amongst  the  rest  to  murder  the  King. 
They  came  to  a  resolution  that  it  should  be  done,  and 
certain  persons  were  appointed  to  do  it  :    these   were 
Grove  and  Pickering,  who  already  have  been  executed 
for  it ;  they  were  to  kill  the  King  in  St.  James's  Park, 
but  the  flint  of  the  pistol  failed,  and  the  King  escaped. 
They  then   sent  down  four    butchers    to    murder    him 
at  Windsor,  who,  being  disappointed,  they  sent  down 
others   after  that  to  murder  him  at  Newmarket,  and 
when  that  failed,  they  had  recourse  to  that  treacherous 
and  unmanly  way  of  poisoning  him,  and  hired  men  to 
do  so.     They  intended  to  raise  an  army  of  25,000  to 
maintain  their  injustice  when  they  had  done  it.     They 
had    recourse   to    foreign    assistance  if  they  were   not 
supported  at  home.     They  have  been  disappointed  in 
all  these  things.     If  these  men  be  innocent,  God  forbid 
that  they  should  suffer,  but  if  guilty,  surely  they  are  not 
fit  to  live  among  men.     And  truly,  if  they  be  guilty, 
they  do  not  only  deserve  to  die,  but  to  die  a  more  cruel 
and  miserable  death  than  either  the  mercy  of  our  Prince 
or  the  moderation  of  our  laws  hath  provided  for  such 
offenders."     They  were  indicted  also  for  attempting  to 
change  their  religion,  established  by  law,  and  substitute 
that    of   the    Romish    Church ;    also    to    subvert    the 
Government.     These  persons  took  the  Sacrament  so  as 
to  commit  the  crime  with  more  secrecy.     Evidence  was 
led  on  both  sides,  and  at  the  close  an  able  summing  up 
was  delivered  by  Sir  George  Jefferies,  the  Recorder  of 


IRefgn  of  Cbarles  II.  245 

London  (afterwards  the  notorious  Jefferies).  He  said  : 
"You,  the  prisoners  at  the  bar,  you  have  been 
severally  arraigned,  and  are  now  severally  convicted,  of 
high  treason,  and  that  attended  with  all  the  circum- 
stances that  can  be  possible  to  aggravate  so  high  a 
crime.  You  attempted  the  life  of  the  best  of  kings, 
under  whom  you  might  have  lived  peaceably,  had  not 
your  own  malice  and  mischief  prevented  it.  Nor  were 
you  satisfied  with  that,  for  you  intended  thereby  to 
make  way  for  the  destruction  of  the  greatest  part  of  the 
kingdom  by  a  public  massacre,  by  cutting  the  throats  of 
all  Protestants,  for  that  also  appears  to  have  been  your 
design,  to  effect  which,  the  nearest  way  and  the  best 
means  you  could  think  of  were  first  to  kill  the  King. 
And  this  was  to  be  done  for  the  introducing  of  another 
religion,  as  you  called  it,  and  so  root  out  the  best 
religion  that  is  established  among  us  by  law.  What  a 
strange  sort  of  religion  is  that  whose  doctrine  seems  to 
allow  them  to  be  the  greatest  saints  in  another  world, 
who  can  be  the  most  impudent  sinners  in  this  ?  Murder 
and  the  blackest  of  crimes  here  are  the  best  means 
among  you  to  get  a  man  canonised  as  a  saint  hereafter. 
Is  it  not  strange  that  men,  professed  in  religion,  who 
use  all  means  to  gain  proselytes  for  heaven,  should  so 
pervert  the  Scripture,  as  some  of  you  have  done,  and 
make  that  justify  your  impious  designs  of  assassinating 
kings  and  murdering  their  subjects  ?  What  can  be  said 
of  such  people,  the  very  foundation  of  whose  religion  is 
laid  in  blood?  .  .  .  From  the  pulpits  you  publicly  preached 
that  the  oaths  of  allegiance  and  supremacy  signify 
nothing.  It  is  a  strange  religion  that  applies  everything 
to  those  wicked  and  detestable  purposes.  .  .  .  Let  that 
vast  eternity  that  you  are  ere  long  to  enter  into — you  are 
now  on  the  brink  of  it — I  say,  let  that  prevail  with  you,  to 
consider  that  there  is  a  God  in  heaven  who  will  call  you 
to  account  for  every  one  of  those  private  and  treasonable 
consultations,  of  which  we  can  never  come  to  any  certain 
knowledge."  The  prisoners  were  then  sentenced  to 
death. 


246  IRo^al  Tbouse  of  Stuart 

Towards  the  close  of  Lauderdale's  corrupt  administra- 
tion we  have  a  notable  act  of  revenge  perpetrated  by 
the  people.  This  was  no  less  than  the  assassination 
of  James  Sharp,  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews.  The 
event  took  place  on  3rd  May,  1679.  It  would  appear 
that  certain  Covenanters,  exasperated  at  Sharp's  per- 
secutions, specially  the  tactics  of  his  agent,  William 
Carmichael,  said  to  have  been  Sheriff-Substitute  of  Fife, 
resolved  that  Carmichael  should  be  removed.  The 
band,  headed  by  David  Hackston  and  John  Balfour  of 
Burleigh,  waylaid  Carmichael  near  Cupar,  but  Carmichael 
had  been  forewarned  and  escaped.  They  were,  how- 
ever, immediately  informed  that  the  Archbishop  was 
approaching  on  his  return  from  Edinburgh  to  St. 
Andrews.  They  accordingly  pursued  and  overtook 
Sharp  on  Magus  Moor,  three  miles  from  St.  Andrews, 
and  having  cut  the  traces  and  disarmed  his  attendants, 
ordered  him  out  of  the  coach.  On  his  refusal  they  fired 
into  the  carriage,  his  daughter,  who  was  sitting  beside 
him,  piteously  imploring  mercy.  One  of  the  band,  named 
Russell,  opened  the  door  and  ordered  him  to  come  out. 
"  I  take  God  to  witness,"  he  said,  "  that  it  is  not  out  of  any 
hatred  to  your  person,  nor  for  any  prejudice  you  have 
done  or  could  have  done  me,  that  I  intend  now  to  take 
your  life,  but  because  you  have  been  an  avowed  enemy  of 
the  Gospel  and  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  a  murderer  of 
His  saints  these  eighteen  or  nineteen  years,  whose  blood 
you  have  shed  like  water,  that  we  are  sent  by  God  to 
exercise  His  vengeance  on  you  this  day."  Sharp 
piteously  entreated  for  his  life,  promised  them  an 
indemnity,  offered  them  money,  and  even  engaged  to 
lay  down  his  office  if  they  would  spare  him.  But  he 
was  in  the  hands  of  men  who  were  proof  against  his 
supplications  by  a  passion  stronger  than  revenge.  They 
upbraided  him  as  an  enemy  of  God  and  His  people,  and 
then  despatched  him  with  innumerable  wounds.  His 
daughter,  in  her  frantic  efforts  to  save  him,  was  badly 
wounded.  After  rifling  the  carriage  of  the  arms  and 
papers  it  contained,  the  assassins  rode  off,  unmolested, 


of  Cbarles  II.  247 

leaving  the  lifeless  body  on  the  moor.  They  spent  the 
night  in  a  lonely  house  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
though  it  was  only  three  miles  from  the  scene  they 
were  left  undisturbed.  According  to  Russell,  "they 
went  to  prayers  first  together,  and  then  each  one  alone, 
blessing  God,  who  had  called  them  out  and  carried 
them  so  courageously  through  so  great  a  work,  and  led 
them  by  His  Spirit  in  every  step  that  they  took  in  that 
matter."  Two  of  the  leaders,  Hackston  and  Balfour, 
escaped  to  the  West,  and  on  29th  May,  at  the  anniversary 
of  the  Restoration,  eighty  horse  entered  Rutherglen, 
extinguished  the  bonfires  kindled  in  honour  of  the  day, 
publicly  burned  all  the  acts  of  the  Scottish  Parliament 
in  favour  of  Episcopacy,  and  affixed  to  the  Cross  a 
protest  against  all  the  proceedings  of  the  Government 
since  the  Restoration.  The  result  of  this  bold  and 
injudicious  proceeding  was  that  the  Privy  Council 
despatched  to  the  West  a  body  of  troops  under  John 
Graham  of  Claverhouse,  with  power  to  put  to  death  all 
who  were  found  in  arms. 

At  Loudoun  Hill,  a  few  miles  north  of  Kilmarnock, 
the  conventicle  assembled  on  Sunday,  nth  June.  The 
religious  service  had  begun,  when  it  became  known  that 
Claverhouse  was  coming  upon  them.  They  had  among 
them  200  fighting  men,  40  of  them  mounted.  They 
were  peculiarly  fortunate,  too,  in  the  presence  of  a  few 
experienced  officers,  which  included  Hackston,  who  was 
present  at  the  murder  of  Sharp.  When  the  sentinels 
came  in  and  advised  the  near  approach  of  Claverhouse 
the  conventicle  was  broken  up,  and  the  armed  men  took 
up  their  position  on  Drumclog  farm,  two  miles  from 
Loudoun  Hill.  Their  position  was  protected  by  a  cleft 
where  lay  the  water  of  a  ditch.  Claverhouse  attempted 
to  get  to  close  quarters  with  the  Covenanters,  but  was 
driven  back  with  considerable  loss.  Flanking  parties 
were  then  detached  to  the  right  and  left,  but  after 
crossing  the  ditch  they  were  furiously  assaulted  and  cut 
to  pieces  by  Balfour  and  Cleland.  Balfour  and  Nisbet 
of  Hardhill  then  crossed  the  morass  with  cavalry,  and 


248  racial  Douse  of  Stuart 

Cleland  with  infantry,  and  attacked  the  dragoons  with 
such  impetuosity  that  they  were  thrown  into  confusion 
and  took  to  flight,  leaving  forty  of  their  number  dead 
on  the  field.  Claverhouse  had  his  horse  shot  under  him, 
and  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life.  The  Covenanters 
scored  a  complete  victory.  Claverhouse,  in  a  despatch 
to  the  Earl  of  Linlithgow,  said  :  "  The  Covenanters  here 
pursued  us  so  hotly  that  we  had  no  time  to  rally.  I 
saved  the  standards,  but  lost  eight  or  ten  men  besides 
wounded.  The  dragoons  lost  many  more."  A  stone 
monument  or  obelisk  has  been  erected  on  the  spot,  with 
the  following  inscription  : — "  In  commemoration  of  the 
victory  obtained  on  this  battlefield  on  Sabbath,  nth 
June,  1679,  by  our  covenanted  forefathers  over  Graham 
of  Claverhouse  and  his  dragoons."  The  defeat  of 
Claverhouse  was  followed  by  the  immediate  despatch  of 
the  Duke  of  Monmouth  with  10,000  troops  to  the  aid  of 
Claverhouse,  and  on  2 1st  June  they  reached  Bothwell. 
The  Covenanters  sent  a  deputation  to  Monmouth  to 
say  that  all  they  wanted  was  the  free  exercise  of  their 
religion,  a  free  general  assembly,  and  a  free  Parliament. 
Monmouth  refused  to  entertain  any  offer  unless  they 
first  laid  down  their  arms  and  submitted  to  the  King, 
and  he  allowed  them  half  an  hour  to  decide.  The 
Covenanters  refused  to  lay  down  their  arms  and  pre- 
ferred to  fight  ;  and  here  took  place  the  battle  of 
"  Bothwell  Brig."  The  attack  was  led  by  Lord 
Livingstone  at  the  head  of  the  English  infantry,  who 
attempted  to  force  the  gates  of  the  bridge  which  the 
Covenanters  had  barricaded.  Hackston,  who  led  the 
Covenanters,  maintained  his  post  heroically,  and  column 
after  column  of  the  enemy  was  driven  back  with  great 
loss,  while  the  troops  under  Balfour  and  Nisbet  repulsed 
and  threw  into  disorder  a  detachment  of  the  Royalists, 
who  attempted  to  ford  the  river.  The  defence  was 
obstinate  and  protracted,  but  at  last  the  ammunition  of 
the  defenders  of  the  bridge  began  to  fail.  The  English 
at  last  burst  open  the  gates,  overpowered  Hackston  and 
his  resolute  band  of  followers,  and  compelled  them  to 


ot  Cbarles  II.  249 

abandon  the  post  they  had  so  gallantly  defended.  The 
English  crossed  the  bridge  and  formed  in  line  of  battle 
on  the  other  bank  of  the  river.  The  Covenanters  were 
put  to  flight  and  defeated  ;  400  fell,  and  1,200  laid  down 
their  arms  and  surrendered.  Five  of  these  were  put  to 
death  on  Magus  Moor,  and  their  bodies  hung  in  chains 
on  the  spot  where  Sharp  was  killed.  The  rest  were 
marched  to  Edinburgh,  tied  two  and  two,  and  con- 
fined in  the  Greyfriars  Churchyard,  closely  watched  by 
sentinels  for  five  months,  sleeping  among  the  graves 
during  the  night  with  no  covering  to  shelter  them  from 
the  weather.  A  few  made  their  escape ;  some  died  ; 
some  acknowledging  the  rising  to  be  a  rebellion  were 
released ;  the  remainder,  numbering  257,  were  con- 
demned to  be  banished  and  sold  as  slaves  in  Barbadoes. 
On  the  way  out  200  of  them  were  drowned. 

Charles's  conduct  was  gradually  getting  into  disrepute, 
and  public  confidence  throughout  the  realm  was  com- 
pletely shaken.  His  unsteadiness  and  faithlessness  were 
such  that  the  French  Government  and  the  English 
Opposition,  agreeing  in  nothing  else,  agreed  in  dis- 
believing his  protestations,  and  were  equally  desirous 
to  keep  him  poor  and  without  an  army. 

The  persecution  of  the  Covenanters  waxed  hotter 
than  ever.  A  portion  of  the  extreme  Presbyterians, 
goaded  to  madness  by  persecution,  declared  that 
Charles,  by  his  perfidious  violation  of  his  coronation 
oath,  and  his  persecution  of  the  Covenanters,  had 
forfeited  all  right  to  their  allegiance.  A  party  of  these 
men,  headed  by  Richard  Cameron  and  Donald  Cargill, 
wandered  for  some  time  up  and  down  the  country, 
holding  meetings  amongst  the  hills.  On  22nd  June, 
1680,  they  affixed  to  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Sanquhar  a 
declaration  disowning  Charles  II.  as  their  lawful  sover- 
eign, for  his  perjury,  breach  of  the  Covenant  and  tyranny, 
and  denying  the  Duke  of  York's  right  to  the  succession. 
For  this  Cameron  and  his  followers  were  hunted  down 
by  the  Royalists,  and  finally  traced  to  Aird's  Moss, 
New  Cumnock.  Here  an  engagement  took  place,  and 


250  1Ro£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

after  a  short  but  desperate  encounter,  the  Covenanters 
were  all  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  Cameron  and 
his  brother  died  fighting  sword  in  hand,  but  the  brave 
Hackston  was  severely  wounded,  and  after  desperate 
resistance,  taken  prisoner.  Cameron's  head  and  arms 
were  cut  off,  and  hung  on  the  Netherbow  of  Edinburgh. 
Hackston,  who  was  a  cultivated  gentleman,  was  treated 
with  extreme  brutality,  to  the  everlasting  disgrace  of 
General  Dalziel,  who  had  reached  the  age  of  fourscore 
years,  and  might  have  shown  some  clemency  to  his 
brave  but  unfortunate  prisoner.  Dalziel  refused  to 
allow  Hackston's  wounds  to  be  dressed,  ordered  him 
to  be  put  in  irons,  and  chained  to  the  floor  of  his  prison. 
In  a  day  or  two  he  was  conveyed  to  Edinburgh,  and  by 
Dalziel's  orders  made  his  entry  sitting  on  a  horse  with 
his  face  backward,  accompanied  by  three  of  his 
friends  on  foot,  bound  in  a  goad  of  iron,  with  Richard 
Cameron's  head  carried  on  a  halbert  before  him. 
Hackston  was  tried  and  condemned  to  be  executed. 
His  sentence  was  carried  out  with  the  utmost  cruelty. 

Of  these  barbarities  Dalziel  was  the  sole  author  and 
instigator.  He  had  served  abroad,  and  of  all  the 
adventurers  who  had,  says  the  historian,1  brought  evil 
ways  from  foreign  institutions  and  practices,  he  had 
brought  home  the  largest  stock  of  ferocity  and  rapacity. 

At  the  Council  table  on  one  occasion  he  struck  a  man 
under  examination  on  the  teeth  with  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  so  as  to  draw  blood :  he  had  some  provocation, 
he  had  been  called  "  a  Muscovy  beast  who  roasted 
men."  It  did  not  make  him  more  merciful  that  he  was 
an  honest  and  ardent  fanatic  for  Royalty. 

In  1 68 1  the  Duke  of  York,  the  King's  brother,  was 
High  Commissioner  in  Scotland  after  Lauderdale.  He 
had  with  him  his  wife  and  daughter,  the  Princess  Anne. 
Edinburgh,  during  that  visit,  had  some  sunshine  to 
relieve  the  gloomy  history  of  the  time.  The  Duke  was 
affable,  played  at  tennis,  also  at  golf,  on  Leith  Links, 
where  he  played  frequently.  He  conducted  himself  in 
1  Hill  Burton. 


1Ref0n  of  Cbarles  II.  251 

so  obliging  a  manner  that  the  nobility  and  gentry,  who 
had  been  so  long  trodden  upon  by  Lauderdale,  found  a 
sensible  change,  for  he  gained  much  on  them  all.1 

On  28th  July,  James  opened  a  Parliament  in 
Edinburgh,  the  first  that  had  met  for  nine  years,  from 
which  he  extorted  two  acts  that  gave  dissatisfaction. 
By  the  one,  no  difference  in  religion  was  to  alter  or 
divert  the  lineal  succession  to  the  crown.  By  the 
other,  he  who  signed  the  test  committed  himself  to 
being  at  once  a  Presbyterian,  an  Episcopalian,  and  a 
Roman  Catholic.  Eighty  of  the  Episcopal  clergy  re- 
signed their  benefices  rather  than  sign  an  impossible 
obligation,  and  the  Earl  of  Argyll  was  reserved  for 
special  procedure. 

The  primary  object  of  Charles's  life  was  the  acquisition 
of  money,  and  the  spending  of  it  recklessly.  Notwith- 
standing the  great  sums  which  he  had  received  from 
the  Scottish  Parliament  he  was  constantly  in  debt. 

In  1 68 1  he  was  emboldened  by  a  secret  treaty  with 
France,  by  which  he  was  to  receive  a  subsidy  of  two 
millions  of  livres  for  the  current  year,  and  half  a 
million  crowns  for  the  two  following  years,  in  considera- 
tion for  which  he  was  to  withdraw  from  Spain  and 
abet  the  scheme  of  Louis  for  the  conquest  of  the 
Netherlands.  He  then  proceeded  to  Oxford,  escorted 
by  his  Horse  Guards.  In  that  Parliament,  which  met 
on  26th  March,  1681,  and  sat  for  a  week,  the  Kingj 
referring  to  the  Exclusion  Bill,  declared  his  willingness 
to  assent  to  any  expedient  by  which,  in  the  event  of  a 
Catholic  prince  succeeding  to  the  throne,  the  adminis- 
tration of  Government  might  be  retained  in  the  hands 
of  Protestants  ;  but  said  he  would  never  depart  from 
his  resolution  of  keeping  the  succession  unbroken. 
Halifax  immediately  laid  before  the  House  the 
details  of  this  plan,  by  which  the  Duke  of  York  was 
to  be  banished  500  miles  from  the  British  dominions 
during  his  life.  On  the  demise  of  the  Crown  he  was 
to  assume  the  title  of  King ;  but  all  the  powers  of 

1  Burnet. 


252  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

government  were  to  be  transferred  to  a  regent,  to 
be  exercised  in  the  name  of  the  absent  sovereign, 
the  regency  to  belong  in  the  first  instance  to  the 
Princess  of  Orange ;  after  her  to  the  Lady  Anne ;  and 
if  James  should  have  a  legitimate  son  educated  a 
Protestant,  the  regency  to  continue  during  the  minority 
of  such  a  son,  and  no  longer.1  This  scheme  was  not 
adopted. 

The  King  once  came  to  the  House  in  a  sedan  chair,  the 
crown  being  secretly  carried  between  his  feet ;  another 
chair  followed  with  curtains  drawn,  supposed  to  contain 
the  Lord-in-waiting.  The  lid  being  raised,  it  was  found 
stuffed  with  the  King's  robes.  But  here  a  formidable 
difficulty  arose,  for  they  were  found  to  be  by  mistake 
the  robes  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter.  So  the  chair  was 
sent  back  again  for  the  Parliamentary  robes,  and  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Lords,  who  wished  to  escape 
from  the  room  to  tell  what  he  had  seen,  was  locked  up 
till  the  chair  returned — all  this  was  to  conceal  the  intention 
of  dissolving  Parliament.  The  King  having  thrown  the 
robes  over  him  and  taken  his  seat  on  the  throne,  Black 
Rod  was  sent  for  the  Commons.  Macaulay  says  that 
the  meeting  resembled  rather  that  of  a  Polish  diet  than 
that  of  an  English  Parliament.  The  Whig  members 
were  escorted  by  great  numbers  of  their  armed  and 
mounted  tenants,  who  exchanged  looks  of  despair 
with  the  Royal  guards.  The  King  consented  to  every- 
thing but  the  Exclusion  Bill.  The  Commons  were 
determined  to  accept  nothing  but  this  bill.  The  bill 
passed  its  final  reading.  The  King  then  said :  "  My 
lords  and  gentlemen,  all  the  world  may  see  we  are 
not  like  to  have  a  good  end  when  the  divisions 
at  the  beginning  are  such.  Therefore,  my  Lord 
Chancellor,  do  as  I  have  commanded  you."  The 
Chancellor :  "  My  lords  and  gentlemen,  His  Majesty 
has  commanded  me  to  say  that  it  is  his  Royal  will 
and  pleasure  that  this  Parliament  be  dissolved,  and 
it  is  accordingly  dissolved."  Charles  instantly  stepped 
1  Campbell's  Lives. 


of  Cbarles  II.  253 

into  his  carriage  and  set  off  to  Windsor.  Shaftesbury, 
when  he  had  recovered  his  breath  from  this  sudden 
announcement,  desired  members  to  remain  and 
transact  business,  but  they  gradually  all  dropped 
away,  and  he  thereafter  hurried  off  to  London. 

Shaftesbury  had  earned  the  King's  displeasure  by 
his  determination  to  pass  this  bill,  and  an  attempt 
was  made  to  impeach  him  for  high  treason.  The 
attempt,  however,  failed,  but  a  rumour  afterwards 
was  spread  that  he  was  to  be  arrested.  On  this 
Shaftesbury  escaped  to  the  Continent,  where  he  died 
on  2ist  January,  1683,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of 
his  age,  a  victim  of  Charles's  persecution. 

In  1683  it  was  proposed  to  make  Sir  Robert  Wright 
a  Judge.  The  Lord  Keeper  Guilford  waited  on  the 
King  to  take  his  pleasure,  and  the  incident  gives  us 
some  insight  into  the  character  of  Charles  as  an 
administrator.  King :  "  My  lord,  what  think  you  of 
Sergeant  Wright  ?  Why  may  not  he  be  the  man  ? " 
Guilford :  "  Because,  Sir,  I  know  him  too  well,  and  he  is 
the  most  unfit  person  in  England  to  be  made  a  Judge." 
King  :  "  Then  it  must  not  be."  On  this  they  parted. 
The  next  time  Guilford  was  in  the  Royal  presence,  the 
King  said :  "  Why  may  not  Wright  be  a  Judge,  he  is 
strongly  recommended  to  me  ;  but  I  would  have  a  due 
respect  paid  to  you,  and  I  would  not  make  him  without 
your  concurrence;  is  it  impossible,  my  lord  ?  "  Guilford: 
"Sir,  the  making  of  a  Judge  is  your  Majesty's  choice, 
and  not  my  pleasure.  I  am  bound  to  put  the  seal  as  I 
am  commanded,  whoever  the  person  may  be  ;  it  is  for 
your  Majesty  to  determine,  and  me,  your  servant,  to 
obey  ;  but  I  must  do  my  duty  by  informing  your 
Majesty  of  the  truth  respecting  this  man,  whom  I 
personally  know  to  be  a  dunce  and  no  lawyer ;  who 
is  not  worth  a  groat,  having  spent  his  estate  on 
debauched  living,  who  is  without  honesty,  having  been 
guilty  of  wilful  perjury  to  gain  the  borrowing  of  a  sum 
of  money."  King:  "  My  lord  I  thank  you."  (Exit  King.) 
Next  day  there  came  a  warrant  for  the  appointment  of 


254  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

"  Our  right  trusty  and  right  well  beloved  Sir  Robert 
Wright"  to  be  one  of  the  Justices  of  our  court  before  us. 

Every  Sunday  morning  when  the  King  was  in  town, 
the  Lord  Keeper  went  with  the  other  great  officers 
to  Whitehall  to  escort  the  King  to  chapel.  That 
was  usually  a  grand  assembly  of  the  Court,  and  the 
great  men  had  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  King 
as  he  gave  them  occasion.  A  Cabinet  Council 
was  held  almost  every  Sunday  evening.  For  the 
ease  of  attendance,  the  King  would  come  from 
Windsor  to  hold  a  council  at  Hampton  Court.  There 
and  at  Whitehall  the  Lord  Keeper  had  a  lodging  in  the 
palace.  If  at  any  time  he  wished  to  see  the  King 
privately,  he  went  directly  to  the  Royal  bedchamber 
and  took  possession  of  it. 

An  important  event  occurred  on  i8th  June,  1683. 
This  was  the  decision  of  the  great  question  of  the  hour, 
the  disfranchisement  of  the  city  of  London  because  of 
abuses  that  were  going  on.  On  this  date,  the  Lord 
Mayor  and  Council  presented  a  petition  to  the  King  at 
Windsor.  The  Lord  Keeper,  for  the  King,  replied  that 
the  King  had  considered  the  petition,  and  commanded 
that  no  Lord  Mayor,  sheriff  or  other  officer  be  appointed 
without  his  consent ;  that  if  the  King  disapproved  of 
the  sheriffs  elected,  he  might  appoint  others  by  his  own 
authority,  that  the  King  would  appoint  all  magistrates 
in  the  city,  instead  of  their  being  elected  as  hitherto. 
The  citizens  refused  to  comply  with  these  terms. 
London  remained  disfranchised  and  governed  by  the 
agents  of  the  Crown  until  the  arrival  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange.  The  rule  of  Charles  was  becoming  intolerable, 
and  in  1683  took  place  the  famous  Rye  House  Plot. 
There  was  general  feeling  of  insecurity  to  liberty  and 
property,  and  as  many  as  thirty-six  noblemen  and 
gentlemen  had  arranged  to  dispose  of  their  estates  in 
England  and  go  out  to  Carolina,  United  States ;  but 
the  scheme  fell  through  on  account  of  this  plot.  The 
plot  was  meant  to  organise  a  general  rebellion  against 
the  rule  of  Charles  II.,  to  take  the  form  of  simultaneous 


ot  Cbarles  II.  255 

risings  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom.  The  more 
desperate  of  the  Whig  party  formed  a  separate  plot  for 
the  assassination  of  the  King  and  his  brother,  on  their 
return  from  Newmarket  Robert  Ferguson,  chaplain 
to  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  championed  the  scheme. 
He  consecrated  a  blunderbuss  for  the  purpose,  and  is 
said  to  have  had  a  sermon  ready  for  delivery  on  the 
consummation  of  the  deed,  which  was  to  be  at  Rye 
House  Farm.  This  deliberately  -  organised  scheme 
owed  its  defeat  to  the  circumstance  that  the  house 
which  the  King  occupied  at  Newmarket  took  fire 
accidentally,  and  Charles  was  obliged  to  leave  eight 
days  before  his  time.  Both  plots  were  discovered. 
Lord  William  Russell,  Algernon  Sydney,  Sir  Thomas 
Armstrong,  and  several  others  were  arrested  and 
beheaded  for  their  connection  with  them.  Several 
people  fled  the  country.  John  Hampden  was  fined 
£40,000,  while  a  reward  of  £500  was  set  on  Ferguson's 
head. 

The  case  of  Robert  Baillie  of  Jerviswoode,  one  of 
the  unfortunate  victims  of  this  period,  calls  for  special 
notice.  Baillie  was  one  of  the  thirty-six  who  had  all 
but  arranged  to  go  to  America,  being  unable  to  endure 
the  reign  of  terror  that  was  going  on  under  Charles. 
He  was  accused  of  being  concerned  in  the  Rye  House 
Plot,  but  there  was  no  proof.  He  was,  however,  arrested, 
and  for  some  months  shut  up  in  a  loathsome  prison, 
which  had  a  serious  effect  on  his  health.  At  his  trial 
he  was  in  the  last  stages  of  a  mortal  disease  brought  on 
by  his  imprisonment.  On  23rd  December,  1684,  he 
was  arraigned  before  the  Court  of  Justiciary.  He  was 
so  weak  as  to  be  obliged  to  appear  at  the  bar  in  his 
night-dress,  and  take  frequent  applications  of  cordials 
to  prevent  collapse.  He  solemnly  denied  having  been 
accessory  to  the  Rye  House  Plot,  or  to  any  conspiracy 
against  the  King's  life ;  and  complained  that  his  friends 
had  been  forced  to  bring  forward  false  representations 
against  him.  Baillie,  it  is  recorded,  was  as  distinguished 
for  his  loyalty  as  for  his  learning  and  abilities,  his 


256  IRopal  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 

amiable  disposition,  and  his  fidelity  to  his  religious 
principles.  Sir  George  Mackenzie,  the  advocate, 
affirmed  in  the  strongest  terms  that  Baillie  had  been 
accessory  to  the  plot  to  assassinate  the  King  and  his 
brother.  Baillie  got  up,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on 
Mackenzie  said :  "  My  lord,  I  think  it  very  strange 
that  you  should  charge  me  with  such  abominable 
things.  You  may  remember  that  when  you  came  to 
me  you  told  me  that  such  things  were  laid  to  my 
charge,  but  that  you  did  not  believe  them.  How,  then, 
my  lord,  did  you  come  to  lay  such  a  stain  upon  me 
with  so  much  violence?  Are  you  now  convinced  in 
your  conscience  that  I  am  more  guilty  than  before  ? " 
Mackenzie  manifested  great  confusion,  and  said : 
"  Jerviswoode,  I  own  what  you  say,  but  my  thoughts 
then  were  as  a  private  man ;  what  I  say  here  is  by 
special  directions  of  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  Clerk 
knows  my  orders." '  "  Well,"  said  Baillie,  "  if  your 
lordship  has  one  conscience  for  yourself,  and  another 
for  the  Council,  I  pray  God  to  forgive  you  ;  my  lords,  I 
trouble  you  no  further."  The  jury  was  empanelled  at 
midnight,  and  sat  till  nine  a.m.,  when  a  verdict  of  guilty 
was  returned,  and  Baillie  was  sentenced  to  be  executed 
that  afternoon  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh,  his 
head  to  be  fixed  on  the  Netherbow,  and  his  limbs  on 
the  gaols  of  Glasgow,  Lanark,  Jedburgh  and  Ayr.  The 
reason  alleged  for  such  haste  was  the  fear  of  his  judges 
that  a  natural  death  would  disappoint  the  Government 
(Baillie  suffering  from  a  mortal  disease),  which  called 
imperatively  at  that  moment  for  a  public  example  to 
terrify  its  opponents.  Baillie  only  said  :  "  My  lords,  the 
time  is  short,  the  sentence  sharp,  but  I  thank  my  God 
who  hath  made  me  as  fit  to  die  as  you  are  to  live." 
His  sister-in-law,  daughter  of  Johnstone  of  Warriston, 
attended  him  devotedly  to  the  last. 

This  was  the  last  event  of  moment   in    the   life   of 

1  Sir  George  Mackenzie  was  one  of  the  Seaforth  family,  and 
unconnected  with  Sir  George  Mackenzie,  afterwards  Earl  ot 
Cromarty,  who  lived  at  the  same  period. 


of  Cbarles  II.  257 

Charles.  His  palace  at  Whitehall  had  seldom  a  gayer 
or  more  scandalous  appearance  than  on  the  evening 
of  Sunday,  ist  February,  1685.  The  great  gallery  was 
filled  with  revellers  and  gamblers.  The  King  sat  there 
chatting  and  toying  with  three  women  whose  charms 
were  the  boast,  and  whose  vices  were  the  disgrace,  of 
the  nation — the  Duchess  of  Cleveland,  the  Duchess  of 
Portsmouth,  the  Duchess  of  Mazarin.  In  respect  of 
the  latter,  Charles  had  sought  her  hand  when  in  exile 
but  in  vain.  Her  face  was  beautiful,  her  understanding 
quick,  her  manners  graceful,  her  rank  exalted,  her 
possessions  immense ;  but  her  ungovernable  temper 
had  turned  these  blessings  into  curses.  Her  house  was 
the  favourite  resort  of  men  of  wit  and  pleasure.  On  the 
evening  in  question  at  Whitehall  a  party  of  twenty 
courtiers  were  seated  at  cards  round  a  large  table  on 
which  gold  was  heaped  in  mountains.1  Scarcely  had 
the  King  risen  from  bed  next  morning  when  it  was 
noticed  that  his  utterance  was  indistinct  and  his 
thoughts  wandering.  His  face  grew  black,  and  uttering 
a  cry  he  fell  into  the  arms  of  Lord  Aylesbury.  A 
physician  who  was  present  opened  a  vein  and  the 
blood  flowed  freely.  He  was  then  laid  on  a  bed,  and 
the  Duchess  of  Portsmouth  attended  him  with  all  the 
devotion  of  a  wife.  On  the  alarm  being  given  the 
Queen  and  the  Duchess  of  York  hastened  to  the  room, 
when  the  Duchess  of  Portsmouth  had  to  retire  to  her 
own  apartments.  The  Duke  of  York  scarcely  left  his 
brother's  bedside.  The  Primate  and  four  bishops 
remained  at  Whitehall  all  day,  and  took  it  by  turns  to 
sit  up  at  night  in  the  King's  room.  The  King  recovered 
his  senses  and  was  generally  improving,  when,  on 
Thursday,  5th  February,  he  took  a  relapse.  Sancroft, 
the  Primate,  who  was  in  the  room,  said  to  him  :  "  Sir, 
you  are  about  to  appear  before  a  Judge  who  is  no 
respecter  of  persons."  The  King  answered  not  a  word. 
The  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells  then  stepped  forward  to 
try  his  persuasive  powers.  His  solemn  and  pathetic 
1  Evelyn's  Diary. 

VOL.    II.  R 


258  IRo^al  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

exhortation  awed  and  melted  the  bystanders  into  tears, 
but  the  King  was  unmoved.     He  declined  to  take  the 
eucharist   from  the   bishops.      A   table   of  bread   and 
wine  was  brought  to  his  bedside,  but  in  vain.     He  had 
never  been  a  sincere  member  of  the  Church  of  England  ; 
when  his  health  was  good  and  his  spirits  high  he  was 
a  scoffer.     In  his  serious  moments  he  was  a  Catholic. 
The  French   ambassador,  Barillon,  who  had  come  to 
Whitehall  to  inquire  for  the  King,  paid  Lady  Portsmouth 
a   visit   and    found  her   in    an    agony  of  sorrow.     "  I 
have,"  she  said  to  Barillon,  "  a  thing  of  great  moment 
to  tell  you  ;    if  it  were  known,  my  head  would  be  in 
danger ;   the  King  is  really  and  truly  a  Catholic  ;  but 
he  will  die   without  being   reconciled  to  the  Church- 
His  bedchamber   is   full   of  Protestant   clergymen  ;    I 
cannot  enter  it  without  giving  scandal.     The  Duke  is 
thinking  only  of  himself.     Speak  to  him ;  remind  him 
that  there  is  a  soul  at  stake.     He  is  master  now,  he  can 
clear  the  room.     Go  this  instant,  or  it  will  be  too  late." 
Barillon  hastened  to  the  bedchamber  and  delivered  the 
message.     James's  conscience  smote  him  ;  he  started  as 
if  aroused    from   a  sleep,  and   declared   that   nothing 
should  prevent  him  from  discharging  the  sacred  duty 
which  had  been  so  long  delayed.     He  commanded  the 
crowd  to  stand  aloof,  and  said  to  the  King :   "  Shall  I 
bring  a  priest  ? "     "  Do,  brother,  for  God's  sake  do,  and 
lose  no  time;  but  no,  you  will  get  into  trouble."     "  If  it 
costs  me  my  life,"  said  James,  "  I  will  fetch  a  priest.'' 
Father   Huddlestone   was  brought   in,  when  everyone 
withdrew.     "  Sir,"  said  James  to  the  King,  "  this  good 
man  once  saved  your  life,  he  now  comes  to  save  your 
soul."     Huddlestone  knelt  by  the  bed,  listened  to  the 
confession,  pronounced  the  absolution,  and  administered 
extreme  unction.     He  then  asked  the  King  if  he  wished 
to  receive  the  Lord's  Supper :  "  Surely,"  said  the  King, 
"  if  I  am  not  unworthy."     The  "  Host "  was  brought  in, 
and  this  rite  ended,  the  priest  held  up  a  crucifix  before 
the  King,  charged  him  to  fix  his  last  thoughts  on  the 
sufferings  of  the  Redeemer,  and  withdrew.     The  King 


of  Cbarles  II.  259 

seemed  to  be  much  relieved.  Five  of  his  natural 
children  were  brought  in  and  he  blessed  them  all ;  these 
were  the  Dukes  of  Grafton,  Southampton,  Northumber- 
land, St.  Albans,  Richmond.  At  noon  on  Friday,  6th 
February,  the  King  passed  away  without  a  struggle.1 

Charles  was  without  ambition.  He  detested  business, 
and  would  sooner  have  abdicated  his  crown  than  direct 
the  administration.  He  wished  merely  to  be  a  King 
who  could  draw  without  limit  on  the  Treasury  for  the 
gratification  of  his  private  tastes ;  who  could  both  hire 
wealth  and  honour,  persons  capable  of  assisting  him  to 
kill  the  time ;  and  although  even  when  the  State  was 
brought  by  maladministration  to  the  brink  of  ruin, 
could  still  exclude  unwelcome  truth  from  the  purlieus 
of  his  own  seraglio,  and  refuse  to  hear  what  might 
disturb  his  luxurious  repose.  In  the  religious  disputes 
which  divided  his  Protestant  subjects  he  was  not  at  all 
interested  ;  his  opinion  oscillated  in  a  contented  suspense 
between  infidelity  and  Popery.  The  love  of  God,  the 
love  of  country,  the  love  of  family  and  friends,  were 
convenient  synonyms  for  the  love  of  self.  Honour 
and  shame  were  scarcely  more  to  him  than  light  and 
darkness  to  the  blind.  It  is  creditable  to  him  that  he 
never  became  a  misanthrope.  He  was  a  slave  without 
being  a  dupe  ;  worthless  men  and  women,  to  the  very 
bottom  of  whose  hearts  he  saw,  and  whom  he  knew  to 
be  destitute  of  affection  for  him  and  undeserving  of  his 
confidence,  could  easily  wheedle  out  of  him  titles,  places, 
State  secrets  and  pardons  ;  the  consequence  was  that 
his  bounty  generally  went>  not  to  those  who  deserved 
it  best,  nor  even  to  those  whom  he  liked  best,  but  to 
the  most  shameless  and  importunate  suitor  who  could 
obtain  an  audience. 2 

As  a  man  he  could  not  be  much  lamented  by  a 
people  who  'had  never  seen  his  face  since  he  had 
become  their  King.  As  a  king  he  had  been  swayed  by 
two  motives — the  maintenance  of  his  prerogative,  and 
the  supply  of  his  purse.3 

1  Macaulay.        2  Ibid.        3  Hume  Brown. 


260  iRosal  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

When  the  reign  of  Charles  was  concluded  it  was  a 
relief  to  the  nation.  His  profligate  conduct  contami- 
nated the  Court  and  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
His  immorality  was  the  source  of  all  his  evil  deeds,  and 
that  immorality  was  evidently  acquired  in  France,  where 
he  kept  Court  for  so  many  years.  He  got  many  hints 
to  give  up  such  a  way  of  living,  but  in  vain.  He  had 
an  ungovernable  temper,  which  kept  his  ministers  in 
fear  and  submission  to  him.  He  not  only  administered 
the  Crown  with  conspicuous  incapacity,  but  his  whole 
life  is  destitute  of  a  single  action  that  could  be  called 
noble.  His  indolence  and  idleness  made  him  fond  of 
frivolous  living,  and  a  frivolous  way  of  spending  his 
time.  And  what  is  to  be  said  of  his  behaviour  towards 
the  Presbyterians  and  Covenanters  ?  of  his  treatment 
of  the  Lord  Chancellor,  the  best  of  all  his  friends,  and 
his  treacherous  conduct  to  the  Marquis  of  Argyll  ? 
Under  such  a  King  the  nation  became  disaffected,  dis- 
loyal, rebellious  ;  the  freedom  of  Parliament,  the  liberty 
of  the  subject,  the  eternal  laws  of  justice  observed 
between  man  and  man,  all  were  cast  to  the  winds  and 
disregarded  by  this  discreditable  member  of  the  House 
of  Stuart.  Under  such  a  sovereign  we  need  not  be 
surprised  if  the  nation  languished  and  gradually  drifted 
into  a  state  of  anarchy. 

We  cannot,  in  this  twentieth  century,  realise  what  the 
nation  suffered  under  such  a  ruler,  on  account  of  the 
brief  and  unconnected  narratives  of  his  reign  which  are 
recorded.  From  what  is  recorded,  however,  we  can  so 
far  conjecture  what  the  condition  of  the  people  may 
have  been.  The  English  and  Scottish  Parliaments 
were  in  a  condition  which  might  be  termed  "  aggressive." 
They  were  under  the  domination  of  a  ruler  who  was 
hopelessly  indifferent  to  the  welfare  of  the  nation  so 
long  as  he  could  get  money  to  meet  his  reckless  obliga- 
tions. The  people  of  that  age  were  to  be  pitied,  for  no 
sooner  had  this  monarch  been  put  in  his  grave  than 
another  rose  up,  who  was  to  be  a  much  greater  persecutor 
of  the  people  and  a  greater  tyrant  than  his  predecessor. 


of  Cbarles  II.  261 

Charles  was  married  in  1662  to  Catherine  of  Braganza, 
daughter  of  John  IV.,  King  of  Portugal,  but  by  her  had 
no  issue.  He  left  natural  issue  as  follows  : — 

By  Lucy  Walters,  daughter  of  Richard  Walters  :  James, 
born  in  Holland  1649.  In  1662  he  came  over  to  England, 
and  in  1663  was  created  Duke  of  Monmouth  ;  in  1668 
captain  of  the  King's  Guards  and  general  of  the  forces. 
He  became  a  distinguished  soldier,  and  commanded  the 
English  auxiliaries  on  the  Continent  during  the  Dutch 
war.  He  unfortunately  quarrelled  with  his  father,  and 
remained  on  the  Continent  till  his  father's  death.  On  the 
accession  of  his  uncle,  James  VII.,  he  invaded  England 
and  proclaimed  himself  King.  He  was  defeated,  put  in 
the  Tower  of  London,  where  in  1685  he  was  beheaded. 
He  was  married  to  Anne  Scott,  daughter  and  heiress  of 
Francis,  Earl  of  Buccleuch,  and  they  were  by  Parliament 
created  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Buccleuch,  he  assuming 
the  surname  of  Scott.  His  family  were,  James,  Earl  of 
Dalkeith  ;  this  son  was  married  and  left  issue,  Walter, 
Earl  of  Dalkeith,  and  Lord  Henry  Scott,  Earl  of  Deloraine ; 
Mary,  said  to  have  been  twice  married. 

By  the  Duchess  of  Cleveland,  Lady  Castlemaine  :  Charles, 
Earl  of  Southampton  and  Duke  of  Cleveland  ;  Henry, 
Duke  of  Grafton  ;  George,  Duke  of  Northumberland  ; 
Anne,  married  to  the  Earl  of  Sussex  ;  Charlotte,  married 
to  the  Earl  of  Lichfield  ;  Barbara  Fitzroy,  who  became  a 
nun,  and  died  in  a  French  nunnery. 

By  Louise,  Duchess  of  Portsmouth :  Charles,  surnamed 
Lennox,  created  Earl  of  March  and  Duke  of  Richmond, 
afterwards  Baron  Methven,  Earl  of  Darnley,  and  Duke 
of  Lennox. 

By  Elizabeth,  Viscountess  Shannon :  Charlotte  Henrietta, 
surnamed  Fitzroy,  married  to  the  Earl  of  Suffolk,  and 
secondly  to  the  Earl  of  Yarmouth. 

By  Nell  Gwynne,  daughter  of  Francis  Gwynne,  one  of  the 
clerks  of  the  Privy  Council  :  Charles,  Duke  of  St.  Albans; 
James  Beauclerc,  who  died  in  France. 

By  Catherine,  daughter  of  Thomas  Pegg  :  Charles,  surnamed 
Fitzcharles,  created  Earl  of  Plymouth. 

By  Mrs.  Mary  Davies  :  Mary,  surnamed  Tudor,  married 
Frances,  Earl  of  Derwentwater,  and  had  issue  ;  married 
secondly  Henry  Graham. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Birth  and  boyhood  of  James — His  marriage  as  Duke  of  York — 
Death  of  Duchess,  and  second  marriage — James  and  Argyll 
and  Coronation  Oath — Argyll  arrested  and  condemned — 
Escapes  from  prison  and  attainted — James  visits  Scotland — 
Creates  Gordon,  Chancellor — Proclamation  and  Coronation — 
Meeting  of  Scottish  Parliament — James's  speech  to  the  Privy 
Council — The  Monmouth  invasion — Chiefs  of  the  Campbells 
imprisoned — Argyll's  proclamation  and  Fiery  Cross — Argyll 
captured,  tried  and  beheaded — Twenty  Campbells  slaughtered 
by  Atholl — Persecution  of  the  Covenanters — Johnston  of 
Westerhall,  Claverhouse  and  Widow — Covenanters  massacred 
— The  Dunnottar  outrage  —  Monmouth  proclaimed  King — 
Battle  of  Sedgemoor — Defeat  and  execution  of  Monmouth — 
Cemetery  of  the  Tower — Remarkable  career  of  Jefferies  — 
His  extraordinary  anecdotes — His  famous  sentence  of  Titus 
Gates — Trial  of  Richard  Baxter  and  Lady  Alice  Lisle  — 
Punishment  of  Monmouth  prisoners — Jefferies,  Lord  Chan- 
cellor— He  surrenders  the  Great  Seal — His  attempt  to  escape 
—  His  capture  at  Wapping  —  His  imprisonment  —  His  Will 
and  his  death — Dismissal  of  Oueensberry  and  Sir  George 
Mackenzie — Trial  of  the  bishop  of  London — the  Declaration 
of  Indulgence — James  and  the  Oxford  Professors. 

REIGN  OF  JAMES  VII. 

A.D.    1685—1688. 

JAMES  VII.  of  Scotland  and  II.  of  England  was 
the  second  son  of  Charles  I.  and  Henrietta  Maria,  and 
was  born  at  St.  James's  Palace  on  i6th  October,  1633. 
He  was  immediately  proclaimed  Duke  of  York,  and 
on  24th  October  was  christened  by  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury.  His  childhood  was  spent  at  St.  James's 
with  his  young  brother  and  sister,  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester  and  Princess  Elizabeth,  till  1641.  There 
was  nothing  specially  eventful  in  the  life  of  James 
until  1652,  when  he  obtained  permission  to  serve  under 

262 


KING   JAMES   VII. 


(Front  a  Portrait  by  Sir  Godfrey  KneUcr. 


To  face  p.  262 


of  James  VII.  263 

Turenne  in  the  French  army,  and  under  that  distin- 
guished General  he  served  till  1655,  when  he  was 
complimented  by  Turenne  for  his  gallant  services.  In 
consequence  of  a  treaty  between  the  French  King  and 
Cromwell,  he  left  France  in  1657,  joined  the  Spanish 
army,  and  it  is  said  distinguished  himself  at  Dunkirk 
in  I658.1  After  this  date  James  appears  to  have  fallen 
in  love  with  Anne  Hyde,  daughter  of  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor. This  young  lady  was  a  maid  of  honour  to  the 
Princess  of  Orange,  the  King's  sister,  and  had  accom- 
panied her  mistress  to  Paris  on  a  visit  to  the  King's 
mother,  Henrietta  Maria.  She  is  described  as  possessed 
of  wit  and  agreeable  manners,  but  without  personal 
charms.  She  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  mother. 
Naturally  pure  in  mind,  and  the  child  of  a  virtuous 
and  illustrious  father,  her  position  was  rendered  painful 
in  the  extreme.  Before  the  birth  of  the  child  she 
prevailed  on  the  Duke  to  have  the  marriage  celebrated  ; 
and  the  ceremony  took  place  privately  at  Worcester 
House,  the  residence  of  the  Chancellor,  on  3rd 
September,  1660  —  Dr.  Crowther,  chaplain  to  the 
Duke,  officiating.  The  marriage  was  disapproved  by 
the  Duke's  mother  and  eldest  sister.  Henrietta  Maria 
hastened  over  to  England  to  prevent  "so  foul  a  disgrace 
to  the  Royal  family,"  and  declared  that  "  whenever 
that  woman  should  be  brought  into  Whitehall  by  one 
door,  she  herself  would  leave  the  palace  by  another, 
and  never  enter  it  again  "  ;  and  the  Princess  of  Orange 
declared  "  that  she  would  never  yield  precedence  to  a 
girl  who  had  stood  as  a  servant  behind  her  chair." 
Anne  Hyde  at  this  date  was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
The  restoration  of  harmony  in  the  Royal  family  was 
facilitated  by  the  sudden  deaths  of  the  Princess  and 
her  brother,  the  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

At  the  restoration,  the  Duke  of  York  was  made  Lord 
High  Admiral  of  England,  after  which  his  conduct  at 
the  Court  of  Charles  II.  is  said  not  to  have  been  credit- 
able to  him,  as  he  was   constantly  engaged  in  some 
1  Thurloe  State  Papers,  vol.  ii. 


264  TRo^al  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

discreditable  intrigue.  He  had  as  many  mistresses  as 
his  brother  the  King,  and  it  is  said  entertained  the  same 
libertine  opinions  respecting  female  virtue. 

In  1665,  after  his  return  from  Lowestoft,  he  found 
that  the  pestilence  called  the  plague  had  extended  its 
ravages  from  the  metropolis  to  the  nursery  of  his 
children  at  Twickenham.  He  at  once  hurried  off  his 
wife  and  children  to  the  purer  air  of  the  North,  and 
fixed  his  residence  at  York,  where  they  lived  for  some 
time  in  happiness  and  comfort  It  is  said  that  the  only 
fault  of  the  Duchess  was  her  inordinate  love  of  eating, 
and  strange  to  say,  the  same  propensity  developed  itself 
in  both  her  daughters,  the  Princesses  Mary  and  Anne. 
Compton,  Bishop  of  London,  asked  James  on  one 
occasion  for  permission  to  confirm  the  Princess  Mary 
at  the  age  of  fourteen.  James  replied  :  "  The  reason  I 
have  not  instructed  my  daughters  in  my  own  religion  is 
because  they  would  have  been  taken  from  me  ;  therefore 
as  I  cannot  communicate  with  them  myself  I  am  against 
their  receiving  it."  1 

The  Duchess  of  York  (Anne  Hyde)  died  in  March, 
1671,  and  James  was  not  slow  to  marry  again.  He 
required  no  pressure  on  that  subject.  It  is  said  by  a 
modern  writer2  that  there  were  eleven  suitable  names 
suggested  for  the  honour.  Further,  that  Lord  Peter- 
borough, the  Groom  of  the  Stole,  was  given  a  roving 
commission  to  interview  the  ladies,  and  that  the  lot  fell 
on  Mary  Beatrix  of  Modena.  But  that  young  lady, 
then  in  her  fifteenth  year,  being  without  worldly 
leanings,  had  already  commenced  a  religious  novitiate, 
and  was  deaf  to  the  arguments  by  which  the  English 
courtier  tried  to  persuade  her  to  exchange  her  eventual 
cloister  life  for  a  Royal  career.  The  case  would  have 
been  hopeless  had  not  Pope  Clement  X.  come  to  the 
rescue  by  informing  Mary  that,  the  Duke  of  York's 
desire  to  contract  an  alliance  with  her  having  reached 
the  Pontifical  ears,  he  thanked  the  Father  of  Mercies 
for  preparing  "in  the  kingdom  of  England  an  ample 
1  Memoirs  of  James  II.  2  Martin  Haile. 


To  face  p.  265 


MARY    OF    MODENA. 
Queen  of  Great  Britain.     Wife  of  James  VII. 

(Ry  Rigand.) 

(From  W.  Strickland  s  Collection). 
By  permission  of  George  Bell  &  6o«s.) 


1Ref0n  of  James  VII.  265 

harvest  of  joy."  Her  marriage  would  restore  the 
orthodox  faith,  and  he  therefore  exhorted  her  to  lay 
aside  her  desire  to  embrace  religious  discipline, 
"  reflecting  that  in  the  present  occasion  it  opposes  itself 
to  the  progress  of  religion." 

On  2ist  November,  1673,  James  married  his  second 
wife,  Mary  Beatrix,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Modena, 
and  the  adopted  child  of  the  King  of  France.  She 
became  a  heroic  companion  to  James  in  all  his  troubles. 
In  1718,  in  the  sixtieth  year  of  her  age  and  thirtieth  of 
her  exile,  she  died  at  St.  Germains,  surrounded,  it  is  said, 
to  her  last  breath  by  no  less  than  fifty  persons.  She  had 
an  annual  allowance  from  the  King  of  France  of  600,000 
livres,  and  the  greater  portion  of  this  was  devoted  to 
the  support  of  destitute  Jacobites,  who  at  that  period 
crowded  St.  Germains.  It  is  recorded  of  her  that, 
combined  with  great  sensibility,  she  had  much  wit  and 
a  natural  haughtiness  of  temper ;  her  mien  was  noble, 
majestic  and  imposing,  but  it  was  sweet  and  modest.1 

In  1681  James  intimated  that  he  had  adopted  the 
Catholic  faith,  which  gave  so  great  dissatisfaction  that 
a  vigorous  effort  was  made  to  exclude  him  from  the 
succession.  So  keen  was  the  feeling  that  he  went  off 
to  the  Continent  to  be  out  of  the  way.  After  a  short 
residence  there  he  returned,  and  was  made  a  Privy 
Councillor,  but  being  a  Catholic,  he  declined  to  take 
the  oath.  Three  months  after  this  he  assumed,  it  is 
said,  the  direction  of  the  Government  under  his  brother, 
who  was  gradually,  by  a  dissipated  life,  becoming  King 
only  in  name.  The  Estates  of  Scotland  appointed  him 
Commissioner  to  His  Majesty.  One  writer2  says  that  it 
soon  became  evident  that  the  sycophants,  of  whom  this 
assembly  was  composed,  were  ready  to  sacrifice  at  the 
mandate  of  the  King  all  the  rights  and  privileges  for 
which  their  fathers  had  struggled  ;  they  declared  that 
no  difference  of  religion,  no  statute  or  law  could  inter- 
rupt the  order  of  succession,  and  that  it  was  high  treason 
to  alter  or  limit  the  rights  of  the  heir  to  the  crown.  It 

1  Memoirs  du  Due  de  St.  Simon.         2  Dr.  James  Taylor. 


266  TRogal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

is  curious  to  notice  that  in  less  than  eight  years  the 
same  men  declared  that  the  heir  to  the  crown,  whose 
rights  they  thus  recognised,  had  forfeited  the  crown, 
and  sent  his  family  as  fugitives  to  wander  abroad.  In 
1682  the  Privy  Council  proposed  that  as  a  mark  of 
respect  all  princes  of  the  blood  should  be  exempted 
from  taking  the  oath.  This  exemption,  which  was 
intended  to  save  James  from  undertaking  to  maintain 
the  Protestant  religion,  was  opposed  by  Argyll,  who  said 
that  the  proposed  exemption  would  be  an  encourage- 
ment to  the  Royal  family  to  abandon  the  National 
Church.  His  words,  as  might  be  expected,  offended 
James.  As  a  result  of  this  foolish  resolution  Argyll  was 
prepared  to  resign  his  office  of  Privy  Councillor  rather 
than  subscribe  the  test.  He  afterwards,  however,  at  the 
request  of  James  signed  it  with  a  reservation,  and  he 
did  so  "  as  far  as  it  was  consistent  with  the  Protestant 
religion."  For  taking  up  this  attitude  Argyll  was  by 
order  of  James  arrested  and  tried  before  a  packed  jury 
in  Edinburgh  for  high  treason,  found  guilty  and  con- 
demned, but  at  the  request  of  James  the  execution  of 
the  sentence  was  suspended.  In  the  interval  Argyll 
ingeniously  dressed  himself  as  a  page,  escaped  out  of 
prison  and  fled  to  the  Continent.  Sentence  of  attain- 
der was  pronounced  against  him,  his  estates  forfeited, 
and  a  price  set  on  his  head.  This  was  an  illustration 
of  what  Scotland  had  to  expect  from  a  tyrannical  ruler. 
Argyll  was  probably  the  best  Scotsman  of  the  period  ; 
and  for  adhering  to  his  own  religion  and  declining  to 
recognise  the  Catholics  he  was  condemned  to  death. 
This  incident,  however,  was  completely  shadowed  by 
the  wholesale  atrocities  which  followed. 

Argyll's  prosecution  created  much  dissatisfaction  in 
England  and  Scotland.  Seven  of  the  Scottish  bishops, 
however,  approved  the  conduct  of  James  as  contribut- 
ing to  the  tranquillity  of  the  kingdom.  These  men 
were  branded  as  sycophants,  pandering  to  gain  the 
favour  of  a  bigoted  prince.  This  year  (1682)  James 
paid  a  final  visit  to  Scotland  in  order  to  settle  the 


of  James  VII.  267 

Government  and  take  his  family  to  London.  The 
vessel  in  which  he  took  his  passage,  was  wrecked  near 
Yarmouth,  but  he  and  the  Earls  of  Middleton  and  Perth 
escaped.  On  his  arrival  in  Scotland  he  appointed 
Gordon  of  Haddo,  Chancellor,  with  the  title  of  Earl  of 
Aberdeen.  This  year  Lauderdale  broke  down  in  both 
mind  and  body,  and  died  at  Tunbridge  Wells.  Rothes, 
Glencairn  and  Annandale  died  immediately  after.  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  these  oppressors  of  the  Covenanters 
on  their  deathbeds  sent  for  Presbyterian  ministers,  which 
led  the  King  to  say  "  he  believed  that  Scotsmen,  be 
they  what  they  would  in  their  lifetime,  were  all  Presby- 
terians at  their  death." 

James,  on  the  death  of  his  brother,  Charles  II. 
(February,  1685),  an  event  he  had  been  anxiously 
looking  forward  to,  was  on  loth  February  proclaimed 
King  of  Scotland  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh. 
His  cruel  nature,  already  well  illustrated,  rendered  him 
very  unpopular,  while  his  obstinate  temper,  his  revenge- 
ful disposition,  and  his  Romish  principles  made  him 
obnoxious  to  the  people.  He  declined  to  take  the 
coronation  oath,  being  a  Catholic,  and  his  obsequious 
council  acquiesced  in  his  refusal,  a  proceeding  which  was 
wholly  indefensible. 

The  opening  year  of  his  reign  was  marked  by  greater 
severities  against  every  form  of  Nonconformity  than  any 
period  of  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  The  laws  against 
Covenanters  were  enforced  with  relentless  severity. 
The  Circuit  Courts  in  the  South  and  West  renewed  their 

f 

iniquitous  proceedings  with  increased  vigour.  There 
were  those  who  failed  to  give  a  general  satisfaction  as 
to  their  consistent  loyalty,  and  there  were  those  who 
refused  to  abjure  what  were  called  their  apologetical 
"Declaration."  The  former  were  punished  by  having 
one  ear  cut  off  and  then  shipped  to  the  American 
plantations  ;  the  latter  were  placed  at  the  mercy  of 
the  military  officer  into  whose  hands  they  fell — these 
officers  being  under  the  command  of  Claverhouse. 
James  became  impatient  for  power,-  and  in  London 


268  iRosal  Ifocwse  of  Stuart 

the  Privy  Council  issued  orders  for  the  proclamation. 
The  guards  were  under  arms ;  the  heralds  appeared  in 
their  uniform,  and  all  proceeded  without  any  obstruc- 
tion. Casks  of  wine  were  broken  open  on  the  streets, 
and  all  who  passed  were  invited  to  drink  the  health 
of  the  King;  but  though  an  occasional  shout  was 
raised,  the  people  were  not  in  a  joyous  mood.  Tears 
were  seen  in  many  eyes,  and  it  was  remarked  that  there 
was  scarcely  a  housemaid  in  London  who  had  not 
contrived  to  procure  some  fragment  of  black  crape 
in  honour  of  Charles.1  On  6th  February,  1685,  James 
was  officially  proclaimed  with  the  usual  ceremonies 
at  Whitehall,  Temple  Bar,  and  the  Royal  Exchange, 
London.  He  at  once  called  a  meeting  of  the  Privy 
Council,  at  which  he  presided  and  made  the  following 
speech : — 

Before  I  enter  on  any  business,  I  have  thought  fit 
to  declare  that  since  it  has  pleased  God  I  should  be 
successor  to  a  brother  who  had  so  tender  an  affection 
for  me,  and  to  so  good  and  masterful  a  King,  I  shall 
endeavour  to  follow  his  example:  and  particularly 
in  the  love  he  had  for  his  subjects.  I  have  been 
represented  to  the  world  as  a  man  of  arbitrary 
principles :  that  is  not  the  only  wrong  that  has  been 
done  me  ;  but  my  behaviour  shall  destroy  that  slander. 
I  shall  use  my  endeavours  to  preserve  the  Government 
both  in  Church  and  State,  as  by  law  established. 
I  knqjv  the  Church  of  England  is  well  affected  to 
monarchy,  and  that  the  members  of  it  have  on  several 
occasions  approved  themselves  loyal  subjects.  I  shall 
take  particular  care  to  support  and  defend  it.  I  am 
also  convinced  that  the  laws  of  this  kingdom  are 
sufficient  to  make  a  king  as  great  as  I  desire  to  be  ; 
and  as  I  intend  to  maintain  the  prerogatives  of  the 
Crown,  so  will  I  never  go  about  to  take  from 
others  what  is  their  due.  I  have  often  ventured 
my  life  in  defence  of  the  nation,  and  am  still 
1  Macaulay. 


of  James  VII.  269 

ready   to   expose   it   for   the   maintenance   of  its  just 
rights. 

This  was  James's  politic  speech  on  his  accession  to 
the  throne.  Notwithstanding,  he,  on  the  following 
Sunday,  attended  Mass  in  the  Queen's  Chapel,  St. 
James's,  surrounded  by  all  the  insignia  of  Royalty  and 
the  paraphernalia  of  the  Catholic  Church.  This  was 
a  direct  negative  to  his  obsequious  speech.  It  was  on 
this  occasion  that  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  whose  office 
it  was  to  carry  the  sword  of  State,  stopped  short  when 
he  came  to  the  door  of  the  chapel.  James  was  surprised. 
"  My  lord,"  said  he,  "  your  father  would  have  gone 
further."  "Your  Majesty's  father,"  replied  the  Duke, 
"would  not  have  gone  so  far."  Shortly  after  the 
proclamation  came  Passion  week,  when  the  King 
determined  to  hear  Mass  with  the  same  pomp  with 
which  his  predecessors  had  been  surrounded  when  they 
went  to  the  churches  of  the  Established  religion.  The 
rites  of  the  Church  of  Rome  were  once  more,  after  an 
interval  of  127  years,  performed  at  Westminster  with 
Royal  splendour ;  the  guards  were  drawn  out  and  the 
Knights  of  the  Garter  wore  their  collars.  The  Duke 
of  Somerset  carried  the  sword  of  State,  while  a  long 
train  of  great  lords  accompanied  the  King  to  his  seat. 

One  of  James's  first  acts  after  his  proclamation  was 
to  fit  up  the  Chapel  of  Holyrood  for  Catholic  service. 
The  citizens  of  Edinburgh  saw  the  palace  frequented 
by  strangers  in  such  ecclesiastical  vestments  as  had 
not  been  visible  in  Scotland  for  more  than  a  century.1 
The  Jesuits  erected  a  printing  press,  and  a  few  books 
were  printed  there  during  its  short  life  ;  a  cargo  of 
images,  declarations  and  vestments  arrived  for  the 
equipment  of  the  chapel.  James  proposed  to  restore 
the  Order  of  the  Thistle;  the  stalls  for  the  Knights 
being  part  of  the  new  equipment,  and  he  was  as  thor- 
oughly a  vassal  of  Rome  as  Philip  II.  or  Mary  Tudor 
had  been.  His  management  of  the  funeral  of  his 
'Hill  Burton. 


270  IRo^al  Tbouse  ot  Stuart 


brother,  Charles  II.,  called  forth  much  censure.  It 
would  indeed  hardly  have  been  accounted  worthy  of 
a  noble  and  opulent  subject.  The  Tories  blamed  the 
King's  parsimony  ;  the  Whigs  sneered  at  his  want  of 
natural  affection  ;  and  the  Covenanters  proclaimed  that 
the  curse  denounced  of  old  against  wicked  princes  had 
been  signally  fulfilled,  and  that  the  departed  tyrant  had 
been  buried  with  the  burial  of  an  ass.1 

The  coronation  of  James  took  place  in  Westminster 
Abbey  on  23rd  April,  1685,  the  very  day  on  which  his 
first  Parliament  was  held  at  Edinburgh.  The  Abbey 
was  splendidly  decorated  ;  the  presence  of  the  Queen 
and  peeresses  gave  to  the  proceedings  a  charm  which 
had  been  wanting  at  the  inauguration  of  the  late  King. 
The  ancient  custom  was,  that  before  a  coronation  the 
sovereign,  with  all  his  heralds,  judges,  counsellors  and 
great  dignitaries,  should  ride  in  state  from  the  Tower 
to  Westminster.  But  James  ordered  an  estimate  to  be 
made  of  the  cost  of  such  a  procession,  and  found  that  it 
would  amount  to  about  half  as  much  as  he  proposed  to 
expend  on  covering  his  wife  with  jewels.  More  than 
.£50,000  was  thereafter  laid  out  on  the  dress  of  the 
Queen,  and  the  procession  from  the  Tower  omitted. 
The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  bishop  of  Ely,  from 
i  Chronicles  xxix.  28.  The  lords  who  carried  the 
swords  bore  them  erect,  near  the  King  on  his  right  side, 
the  great  Chamberlain  standing  at  his  left  hand.  On 
each  side  of  the  Queen  stood  the  two  bishops  who 
supported  her,  the  Lord  Chamberlain  on  the  right,  the 
Vice-  Chamberlain  on  the  left.  The  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  sat  in  a  purple  velvet  chair,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  altar  ;  near  the  pulpit  stood  the  Lord  Mayor 
of  London,  and  near  the  altar  the  Dean  and  pre- 
bendaries of  Westminster.  After  sermon  the  King 
uncovered  his  head,  and  the  Archbishop  put  the  usual 
questions  and  administered  the  oath.  The  King  and 
Queen  then  knelt  while  the  choir  sang,  Veni,  Creator, 
Spiritus,  prior  to  anointing.  The  four  Knights  of  the 
1  London  Gazette,  I4th  February,  1685. 


of  James  VII.  271 

Garter  held  a  pallet  of  cloth  of  gold  over  the  King 
during  the  anointing.  After  the  anthem,  the  Arch- 
bishop, coming  from  the  altar  with  the  crown,  put  it  on 
the  King's  head,  at  which  the  trumpets  sounded,  the 
drums  beat,  and  the  people  cried,  "God  save  the  King!" 
The  Queen  rose  from  her  chair,  the  King's  ceremony 
being  over,  and  went  towards  the  altar,  attended  by  the 
Duchess  of  Norfolk  and  four  lady-assistants,  who  bore 
her  train,  and  the  ladies  of  the  bedchamber.  The 
Queen  knelt  at  the  steps  of  the  altar,  while  the  Arch- 
bishop repeated  a  short  prayer,  after  which,  kneeling 
down,  the  Archbishop  poured  the  oil  on  her  head  in 
the  form  of  a  cross,  saying:  "In  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  let  the  anointing  of  this  oil 
increase  thine  honour."  He  then  set  the  crown  upon  her 
head,  saying:  "Receive  the  crown  of  glory,  honour,  and 
joy ;  God  hath  this  day  set  a  crown  of  pure  gold  upon 
thy  head." 

The  Queen  being  anointed  and  crowned,  the  choir 
sang  the  anthem  from  the  45th  Psalm,  "  At  his  right 
hand  shall  stand  the  Queen  all-glorious  within  "  ;  she 
was  then  conducted  to  her  own  throne  on  the  left  of  the 
King,  after  which  they  knelt  while  the  benediction  was 
pronounced.  The  Royal  procession  then  returned  from 
St.  Peter's  to  Westminster  Hall.  The  Queen  was 
received  under  her  canopy  by  sixteen  barons  of  the 
Cinque  Ports,  who  carried  the  rich  dais  of  cloth  of  gold, 
under  which  she  walked.  The  King,  having  the  four 
swords  and  sceptre  with  the  dove  borne  before  him, 
with  a  crown  upon  his  head,  in  his  hand  the  sceptre 
and  the  orb,  was  supported  out  of  the  chapel,  and 
received  under  the  canopy  also  by  sixteen  barons. 
The  proceedings  were  followed  by  a  banquet 

A  modern  writer1  says  James  would  have  shown 
a  more  judicious  munificence,  and  a  more  judicious 
parsimony,  if  he  had  traversed  London  from  east  to 
west  with  the  accustomed  pomp,  and  had  ordered  the 
robes  of  his  wife  to  be  less  thickly  set  with  jewels.  The 
1  Macaulay. 


272  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

ceremony  of  presenting  the  King  with  a  richly-bound 
copy  of  the  Bible,  and  exhorting  him  to  prize  it  above 
all  earthly  treasures,  was  omitted.  There  was  no 
creation  of  Knights  of  the  Bath  nor  any  coronation 
honours.  A  coronation  medal  was  struck,  on  which  his 
bust  was  represented  after  the  manner  of  the  Roman 
emperors,  with  a  laurel  wreath  entwining  his  head,  and 
the  words,  "Jacobus  II.,  D.  G.,  Aug.  Sco.  Fr.  et  Hib. 
R.  4 "  ;  on  the  reverse  was  a  branch  of  laurel  upon  a 
cushion,  with  an  armed  hand  from  the  clouds  holding 
out  a  crown  with  the  inscription  :  "A  militari  ad 
Regiam  Exurg" 

The  Quakers  of  England,  after  the  coronation  of 
James,  sent  him  the  following  address : — "  These  are  to 
testify  to  thee  our  sorrow  for  our  friend  Charles,  whom 
we  hope  thou  will  follow  in  everything  that  is  good. 
We  hear  that  thou  are  not  of  the  religion  of  the  land 
any  more  than  we,  and  therefore  may  reasonably 
expect  that  thou  wilt  give  us  the  same  liberty  that  thou 
takest  thyself.  We  hope  that  in  this  and  all  things  else 
thou  wilt  promote  the  good  of  thy  people,  which  will 
oblige  us  to  pray  that  thy  reign  over  us  may  be  long 
and  prosperous." 

The  Scottish  Parliament  met  on  23rd  April,  1685, 
Lord  Queensberry  representing  the  King.  As  every 
Presbyterian  was  excluded  by  the  test,  it  was  only 
open  to  Episcopalians.  Parliament  was  informed  by 
letter  that  the  King  was  determined  to  maintain  his 
prerogative,  and  as  nothing  had  been  left  unattempted 
by  certain  fanatical  murderers  and  assassins  to  disturb 
the  public  peace,  he  trusted  Parliament  would  inflict 
punishment  on  them  for  their  crimes.  The  servility 
of  this  Parliament  was  shown  in  their  drawing  up  a 
declaration,  expressing  their  abhorrence  of  everything 
derogatory  to  the  King's  authority  ;  the  whole  nation 
between  sixteen  and  sixty  to  be  placed  at  their  disposal, 
and  an  additional  grant  of  ;£  18,000  per  annum  was 
settled  on  the  King  for  life,  while  an  indemnity  was 
granted  to  all  officers  of  the  Crown,  civil  and  military, 


IReion  of  3ames  VII.  273 

for  their  illegal  proceedings  during  the  late  reign.  The 
demand  of  the  King  for  new  and  more  stringent  penal 
laws  against  the  Presbyterians  was  agreed  to.  It  was 
ordained  that  whoever  should  endeavour  to  expound 
the  Scriptures  in  a  house  where  five  persons  in  addition 
to  the  family  were  present,  or  should  attend  a  field 
meeting,  should  be  punished  with  death  and  confiscation 
of  goods.1  This  Parliament  evidently  was  dominated 
by  the  Catholic  proclivities  of  James. 

To  administer  or  receive  the  Covenant  was  declared 
treason  ;  and  the  estates  of  Baillie  of  Jerviswoode  and 
several  others  were  confiscated  for  disregarding  the 
King's  authority.  At  another  meeting  of  the  Estates 
a  bill  favourable  to  the  Catholics  was  prepared  and 
accepted  by  the  Lords  of  the  Articles.  It  protested 
against  Popery  in  the  abstract,  but  provided  that  those 
who  were  in  the  Romish  Communion  should  be  under 
the  protection  of  His  Majesty's  Government,  and  should 
not  for  the  exercise  of  their  religion  in  private — public 
worship  being  expressly  excluded  —  be  under  the 
danger  of  sanguinary  and  other  punishments  contained 
in  any  law  or  acts  of  Parliament2  Parliament  was 
unfavourable  to  this  measure,  and  the  King  is  said  to 
have  met  this  defeat  with  indifference. 

On  nth  May,  1685,  three  poor  labouring  men  were 
stopped  by  an  officer  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Glasgow, 
and  were  asked  whether  they  would  pray  for  King 
James.  They  refused  to  do  so,  unless  "  he  was  one  of 
the  elect."  They  were  seized  by  a  file  of  musketeers, 
and  within  one  hour  after  their  arrest  their  blood  was 
lapped  up  by  the  dogs.3 

We  come  now  to  that  notable  event  in  English 
history,  the  Monmouth  Invasion,  the  attempt  of 
Monmouth  to  succeed  his  father,  Charles  II.  There 
were  at  this  period  a  number  of  exiles  in  Holland,  of 
whom  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  (natural  son  of  Charles 
II.)  and  the  Earl  of  Argyll,  who  had  escaped  from 

1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par.  2  Wodrow,  vol.  iv.,  p.  366. 

3  Wodrow,  vol.  iii.,  p.  9. 
VOL.   II.  S 


274  IRo^al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

prison,  were  the  chief.  The  accession  of  James  gave 
them,  as  they  thought,  an  opportunity  of  invading 
England  and  Scotland.  Accordingly,  it  was  resolved 
that  Argyll  should  make  a  descent  on  Scotland,  and 
Monmouth  should  land  on  the  West  Coast  of  England. 
On  the  2nd  May,  1685,  a  small  fleet  of  three  ships  left 
Amsterdam  and  duly  arrived  in  Scotland,  carrying  war 
material  for  Argyll's  benefit.  The  King,  hearing  of  this 
movement,  ordered  out  the  militia.  The  strongholds  in 
Argyllshire  were  dismantled  or  garrisoned  ;  the  chiefs 
of  the  Campbells  were  summoned  to  Edinburgh  and 
thrown  into  prison,  and  several  ships  of  war  were 
ordered  to  cruise  off  Bute.  Argyll  issued  two  pro- 
clamations recapitulating  the  personal  injuries  he  had 
received  from  the  Government;  the  sufferings  inflicted  on 
the  country  by  a  Popish  tyrant ;  and  calling  on  the 
people  to  take  up  arms  for  the  vindication  of  the 
Covenant  and  the  overthrow  of  Popery  and  prelacy. 
The  Fiery  Cross  was  also  sent  through  the  district  to 
summon  the  Campbells  to  the  standard  of  their  chief, 
but  only  1,800  men  obeyed  the  call.  Argyll,  we  are 
informed,  was  only  to  hold  the  nominal  command, 
as  he  was  to  be  one  of  a  war  committee,  which 
included  Cochrane  of  Ochiltree  and  Sir  Patrick  Hume 
of  Polwarth,  which  would  determine  where  the  expedi- 
tion would  land,  appoint  officers,  superintend  the 
levying  of  troops,  and  give  out  provisions  and 
ammunition.  Monmouth  was  to  command  in  England  ; 
he  was  eager  for  the  enterprise.  All  that  was  required 
of  him  was  that  he  would  not  assume  the  regal  title 
till  his  claims  had  been  submitted  to  the  judgment  of 
Parliament.  It  was  determined  that  two  Englishmen, 
Ayloffe  and  Rumbold,  should  accompany  Argyll  to 
Scotland,  and  Fletcher  should  with  Monmouth  go  to 
England.  The  promoters  of  the  enterprise,  the  anti- 
Jacobites,  were  able  to  raise  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  for 
the  two  expeditions.  The  English  Government  issued  a 
proclamation  directing  that  Scotland  should  be  put  into 
a  state  of  defence,  and  all  the  clans  hostile  to  Argyll  to  be 


of  James  VII.  275 

set  in  motion.  John  Murray,  first  Marquis  of  Atholl,  was 
appointed  Lord-Lieutenant  of  Argyllshire,  on  behalf  of 
James,  and  occupied  Inverary  Castle,  while  some  war 
vessels  were  sent  to  cruise  on  the  West  Coast.  The  state 
of  public  feeling  in  Scotland  was  not  what  Argyll 
expected  it  to  be.  The  Highlanders,  whom  he  now 
summoned  to  extirpate  prelacy,  he  had  a  few  years 
before  summoned  to  defend  it.  The  people  of  the 
Lowlands  positively  refused  to  advance  into  the 
Highlands. 

Argyll  proposed  to  send  his  troops  to  Inverary,  but 
Atholl  with  his  supporters  were  there  and  occupied  the 
town.  Argyll  then  despatched  some  troops  by  land, 
while  he  prepared  to  sail  up  Loch  Fyne  to  Inverary  to 
distract  the  Royalists,  but  the  King's  cruisers  were  on 
his  track,  and  he  was  forced  to  take  shelter  under  the 
castle  of  Eilean  Dearg,  in  the  Kyles  of  Bute.  He  then 
marched  along  the  south  coast  of  the  loch.  The  con- 
tingent which  he  had  sent  on  before  him  seized  the 
Castle  of  Ardkinlas.  Atholl  made  an  attempt  to 
recover  it  but  failed.  Argyll  was  tracked  on  all  sides 
by  the  enemy  and  he  made  for  the  low  country,  fording 
the  Leven  above  Dumbarton,  and  being  pursued  by  some 
of  Atholl's  troops.  Argyll's  object  was  to  make  for 
Glasgow.  Cochrane  and  Hume  both  made  their  escape, 
but  Rumbold,  an  Englishman  and  companion  of  Argyll, 
was  captured.  Argyll,  whose  life  was  in  danger,  dressed 
as  a  peasant,  pretended  to  be  the  guide  of  Major 
Fullarton,  and  in  crossing  the  Cart  at  Inchinnan  they 
were  confronted  by  a  party  of  militia  who  suspected 
them.  They  seized  Argyll,  but  he  broke  loose  and 
sprang  into  the  water.  He  stood  at  bay  a  short  time 
before  five  assailants.  He  had  no  arms  but  his  pocket 
pistols,  and  they  were  so  wet  that  they  would  not  go 
off.  He  was  struck  to  the  ground  with  a  broad-sword 
and  secured.  Argyll  has  been  condemned  for  not 
having  refused  to  conduct  this  enterprise  without  the 
power  of  an  independent  general.  He  wanted  neither 
courage  nor  activity  but  authority.  He  was  fettered  by 


2  76  IRopal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 


that  committee  which,  more  than  he,  was  responsible  for 
the  failure  and  for  its  consequences.  Argyll  was  dragged 
through  Edinburgh  in  triumph,  and  was  compelled  to 
walk  on  foot,  bareheaded,  from  Holyrood  to  the  castle 
Before  him  marched  the  hangman  bearing  the  gibbet. 
When  he  reached  the  castle  his  legs  were  put  in  irons, 
and  he  was  informed  he  had  only  a  few  days  to  live. 
Argyll  was  no  ordinary  man  ;  his  gentle  and  majestic 
patience,  his  courage  over  fortitude,  though  severely 
tried,  never  forsook  him.  This  was  Archibald, 
ninth  Earl  of  Argyll.  James  had  sent  positive 
orders  to  Edinburgh  that  nothing  should  be  omitted 
which  could  wring  out  of  him  information  against  all 
who  had  been  concerned  in  the  treason.  With  torments 
and  death  in  immediate  prospect  Argyll  thought  less  of 
himself  than  his  clansmen.  He  wrote  from  his  cell  :  "  I 
was  busy  treating  for  them  and  in  some  hopes,  but  this 
evening  orders  came  that  I  must  die,  and  I  am  to  be 
put  to  the  torture  if  I  answer  not  all  questions  on  oath> 
yet  I  hope  God  will  support  me."  The  torture  was  not 
inflicted.  On  the  scaffold  one  of  the  Episcopal  clergy 
who  attended  him  called  out  :  "  My  lord  dies  a 
Protestant."  "  Yes,"  said  Argyll,  stepping  forward, 
"  and  not  only  a  Protestant,  but  with  a  heart-hatred  of 
Popery,  prelacy,  and  of  all  superstition."  His  com- 
panions, Ayloffe  and  Rumbold,  were  also  executed. 
A  story  was  current  that  the  King  said  :  "  You  had 
better  be  frank  with  me,  Mr.  Ayloffe  ;  you  know  that  it 
is  in  my  power  to  pardon  you,"  to  which  Ayloffe  replied  : 
"  It  may  be  in  your  power,  but  it  is  not  in  your  nature." 
These  unwarrantable  executions,  which  took  place  on 
3Oth  June,  1685,  and  the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  Argyll 
to  vindicate  the  liberties  of  his  country,  were  followed 
by  the  most  disgraceful  severities  towards  his  defenceless 
retainers.  Upwards  of  twenty  of  the  leading  members 
of  his  clan  were  put  to  death  by  Atholl  (John  Murray, 
first  Marquis  of  Atholl),  and  many  of  his  followers  were 
hanged  without  a  trial.  Argyll's  son  Charles,  while  ill 
of  a  fever,  fell  into  the  hands  of  Atholl,  and  but  for  the 


of  James  VII.  277 

interference  of  the  Privy  Council  at  the  intercession  of 
some  ladies,  Atholl  would  have  hanged  him  before  his 
father's  gate  at  Inverary.  Atholl  laid  waste  the  whole 
district  with  fire  and  sword,  burned  the  houses,  destroyed 
nets  and  fishing-boats,  and  broke  in  pieces  the  mill- 
stones, in  order  to  deprive  the  poor  inhabitants  of  their 
means  of  living.  More  than  300  of  both  sexes  were 
sent  abroad  as  slaves,  many  of  them  deprived  of  their 
ears  by  the  hangman,  or  branded  on  the  cheek  with  a 
hot  iron.1. 

The  Scottish  Parliament  on  8th  May,  1685,  have 
recorded  the  following  : — 

Our  sovereign  Lord,  considering  the  obstinacy  of 
the  fanatical  party  who,  notwithstanding  all  the  laws 
formerly  made  against  them,  still  keep  their  house  and 
field  conventicles,  which  are  the  nurseries  and  rendez- 
vous of  rebellion  ;  therefore  His  Majesty,  with  consent 
of  Parliament,  ordains  that  all  such  persons  who  shall 
hereafter  preach  at  such  house  or  field  conventicles, 
also  those  who  shall  be  present  as  hearers,  shall  be 
punished  by  death  and  confiscation  of  their  goods.2 

The  Lords  of  the  Privy  Council  and  others  com- 
missioned by  His  Majesty  have  fined  husbands  for 
their  wives  withdrawing  from  ordinances.  Parliament 
ordains  this  to  be  legal,  and  it  is  to  be  observed  in 
all  time  coming.  Parliament  ratifies  all  decreets  and 
sentences  passed  against  husbands  for  such  fines, 
reserving  power  to  the  Privy  Council  to  mitigate 
the  fines  of  husbands  known  to  be  loyal.3 

The  English  Parliament  met  on  22nd  May  there- 
after, when  the  King  delivered  his  speech  from  the 
throne.  He  declared  he  would  maintain  the  established 
Government  in  Church  and  State.  It  was  then  the 
custom  that  after  the  King  had  given  his  reasons  for 
assembling  Parliament,  the  minister  who  held  the  Great 
Seal  should  at  more  length  explain  to  the  House  the 
i  Burnet.  2  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par.  3  Ibid. 


278  1Ro£al  flxwse  of  Stuart 

state  of  public  affairs.  This  being  done,  the  Commons 
voted  the  King  for  life  the  whole  revenue  enjoyed  by 
his  brother.  In  the  matter  of  religion,  the  Commons 
passed  the  resolution  that  they  relied  with  entire 
confidence  on  His  Majesty's  generous  promises  to 
protect  that  religion  which  was  dearer  to  them  than 
life  itself.1  The  King  informed  the  House  that  his 
brother  Charles  had  left  some  debts.  On  the  proposal 
of  Dudley  North,  a  tax  for  eight  years  was  imposed 
on  sugar  and  tobacco,  to  meet  the  national  expendi- 
ture. This  raised  the  income  of  the  Crown,  it  is  said, 
to  about  two  millions  per  annum,  a  huge  sum,  when 
we  think  of  the  scarcity  of  money  at  that  period. 

James  enraged  and  alarmed  his  Parliament  by  con- 
stantly telling  them  that  they  had  their  privileges 
merely  during  his  pleasure  ;  and  that  they  had  no 
more  business  to  inquire  what  he  might  lawfully  do 
than  what  the  Deity  might  lawfully  do.  Yet  he 
sometimes  quailed  before  them,  abandoned  minister 
after  minister  to  their  vengeance,  and  suffered  them 
to  tease  him  into  acts  directly  opposed  to  his  inclina- 
tion. By  his  fondness  for  worthless  minions,  and  by 
the  sanction  which  he  gave  to  their  tyranny  and 
rapacity,  he  kept  discontent  constantly  alive.  His 
cowardice,  his  childishness,  his  pedantry,  his  ungainly 
person  and  manners,  his  provincial  accent,  made  him 
an  object  of  derision.  Even  in  his  virtues  and 
accomplishments  there  was  something  eminently 
unkingly.  Throughout  his  reign  all  the  venerable 
associations  by  which  the  throne  had  been  fenced 
were  gradually  losing  their  strength.  It  was  no 
light  thing  that,  on  the  very  eve  of  his  decisive 
struggle  between  our  Kings  and  their  Parliaments, 
Royalty  should  be  exhibited  to  the  world  stammering, 
slobbering,  shedding  unmanly  tears,  trembling  at  a 
drawn  sword,  and  talking  in  the  style  alternately  of 
a  buffoon  and  a  pedagogue.2 

The  accession  of  James  unfortunately  brought  no 
1  Commons'  Journals,  May,  1685.  -  Macaulay. 


1Rei0n  of  James  VII.  279 

relief  to  the  Covenanters.  It  is  recorded '  that 
multitudes  were  put  to  death  often  without  a  trial, 
on  mere  suspicion,  or  on  their  refusal  to  take  the 
test  or  betray  the  hiding  -  places  of  their  friends. 
Murders  in  the  fields  continued  without  intermission. 
On  one  occasion  six  persons,  while  at  prayer  in 
Minnigaff,  in  Galloway,  were  surprised  by  a  troop 
of  horse  under  Captain  Douglas,  and  instantly  shot. 
On  another  occasion  six  men  were  seized  in  the 
parish  of  Urr  by  Bruce  of  Earlshall,  and  all  six 
murdered.  At  this  date  took  place  the  event  known 
as  the  "Wigtown  Martyrs."  Three  women  were 
arrested  in  Wigtown  and  tried  for  nonconformity, 
viz.,  Mrs.  M'Lauchlan,  a  widow,  and  two  daughters 
of  Gilbert  Wilson,  a  farmer.  Wilson  and  his  wife 
had  become  Episcopalians,  but  the  daughters  refused, 
and  they  were  condemned  to  death.  The  youngest 
Wilson  was  ransomed  by  her  father  for  £100,  but  the 
other  two  women  were  bound  to  stakes  fixed  in  the 
sands  within  high-water  mark,  that  they  might  endure 
a  lingering  death.  They  perished  before  the  eyes  of 
the  notorious  Grierson  of  Lagg,  a  noted  persecutor, 
and  an  immense  concourse  of  spectators.  There  was 
next  the  Westerhall  case,  where  Johnston,  the  pro- 
prietor, a  convert  from  Presbyterianism,  discovered 
that  an  old  woman,  a  Presbyterian,  was  living  on 
his  estate  and  harbouring  a  Covenanter.  It  would 
appear  that  the  tyrant  pulled  down  the  house  of  the 
poor  woman,  drove  out  her  and  her  children  to  wander 
in  the  fields,  dragged  her  son  Andrew,  a  youth,  before 
Claverhouse,  that  sentence  of  death  might  be  passed 
upon  him.  Claverhouse,  strange  to  say,  expressed 
pity  for  the  lad,  but  Johnston  insisted  on  the  sentence 
being  carried  out.  Claverhouse  yielded,  saying  ;  "  The 
blood  of  this  poor  man  be  upon  you  ;  I  am  free  of  it." 
The  captain  of  a  Highland  Company  who  was  present 
was  asked,  but  peremptorily  refused,  to  execute  the 
sentence.  Claverhouse  then  requested  three  of  his 
1  Taylor. 


- 


280  iRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

Dragoons  to  do  it,  which  they  did,  the  youth 
holding  up  his  Bible  and  charging  them  to  answer 
for  what  they  were  about  to  do,  at  the  Great  Day 
when  they  should  be  judged  by  what  was  written  in 
that  Book. 

Of  the  method  in  which  the  Indulgences  and  the  King's 
design  in  them  were  received  by  the  sterner  among 
the  fanatics,  the  following  specimen  may  suffice : — 
There  were  more  butchered  and  slaughtered  in  the 
fields  without  either  law  or  trial  or  sentence  than  in  all 
the  former  tyrant's  reign  ;  they  were  murdered  without 
time  given  to  deliberate  upon  death,  or  space  to 
conclude  their  prayers ;  but  either  in  the  instant  when 
they  were  praying  shooting  them  to  death,  or  surprising 
them  in  their  caves,  and  murdering  them  there  without 
any  grant  of  prayer  at  all ;  yea,  many  of  them  were  mur- 
dered,or  cut  off  without  pity,  when  they  were  found  at  their 
labour  in  the  field,  or  travelling  upon  the  road  ;  and 
such  as  were  prisoners  were  condemned  for  refusing  to 
take  the  oath  of  abjuration  or  owning  the  authority, 
and  surprised  with  their  execution,  not  knowing  for 
certain  the  time  when  it  should  be.  Queensberry  had 
the  impudence  to  express  his  desire  of  it ;  when  some 
went  to  solicit  him  for  a  reprieve  in  favour  of  some  of 
them,  he  said  they  should  not  have  time  to  prepare  for 
heaven — hell  was  too  good  for  them.1 

The  Privy  Council  at  Edinburgh,  composed  of  the 
creatures  of  James,  ordered  all  the  Covenanters  who 
were  in  prison  to  be  sent  to  Dunnottar  Castle  in  safe 
custody.  The  unfortunate  creatures  were  compelled  to 
perform  the  journey  on  foot  with  their  hands  tied 
behind  their  backs.  When  they  reached  Dunnottar 
they  were,  to  the  number  of  167  persons,  including 
several  women  and  children,  thrust  into  a  subterranean 
vault  full  of  mire,  and  with  only  one  small  window 
opening  to  the  sea.  Their  guards  treated  them  with 
great  inhumanity,  and  allowed  them  neither  bedding 
nor  provisions  excepting  what  they  bought ;  they  had 
1  Hill  Burton. 

&j\ 


IReian  of  James  VII.  281 

even  to  pay  for  water.  In  a  few  days  forty  of  them 
were  removed  into  a  smaller  vault,  into  which  light 
entered  only  by  a  chink  in  the  wall,  and  they  were 
compelled  to  stretch  themselves  on  a  damp  floor  in 
order  to  obtain  fresh  air,  which  entered  close  to  the 
ground.  Many  of  them  died  in  consequence  of  this 
and  the  tortures  to  which  they  were  subjected ;  twenty- 
five  of  them  fortunately  made  their  escape  down  the 
perpendicular  rock  on  which  the  castle  stands,  but 
fifteen  were  cruelly  betrayed  by  the  neighbouring 
peasantry  and  retaken.  These  suffered  the  most 
cruel  tortures  at  the  hands  of  the  soldiers,  and  were 
bound  to  the  floor  of  their  dungeons  with  fiery 
matches  burning  for  some  hours  between  their  fingers. 
Several  of  them  died  under  this  diabolical  treatment, 
and  the  fingers  of  others  were  reduced  to  ashes.  In 
consequence  of  strong  representations  which  were 
made  to  the  Privy  Council  regarding  these  atrocities, 
orders  were  given  that  provisions  and  other  necessaries 
should  be  allowed  to  the  prisoners  on  moderate  terms, 
and  that  they  should  not  be  crowded  together  so  closely 
in  their  dungeon.  About  the  end  of  July  they  were 
brought  to  Leith,  and  those  who  persisted  in  refusing 
the  test  were  sent  to  the  plantations.!  This  brutal  out- 
rage was  perpetrated  by  the  Scottish  Parliament  by  the 
authority  of  the  King,  and  subsequently  formed  one 
of  the  reasons  for  his  dethronement.  In  downright 
brutality  it  equals  anything  perpetrated  by  Jefferies, 
and  affords  us  an  illustration  of  the  brutal  nature 
of  James  VII. 

Monmouth's  cause  having  been  lost  in  Scotland,  he 
was  by  a  faction  proclaimed  King  of  England.  On 
the  day  following  that  on  which  he  had  assumed  the 
regal  title  he  marched  from  Taunton  to  Bridgewater. 
The  Mayor  and  aldermen  of  Bridgewater  came  in  their 
robes  to  welcome  him,  walked  before  him  to  the 
Cross,  and  there  proclaimed  him  King.  His  troops 
were  cordially  received  and  entertained  by  the  people  ; 
1  Wodrow,  vol.  ii. 


282  TCosal  foouse  of  Stuart 


they  numbered  6,000.  His  courage,  much  inferior  to 
that  of  Argyll,  rose  and  fell  with  his  animal  spirits.  It 
was  sustained  on  the  field  of  battle  by  the  excitement 
of  action,  and  by  the  hope  of  victory.  He  was  a  graceful 
and  accomplished  man,  and  a  general  favourite.  His 
proclamation  was,  as  might  be  expected,  a  great 
surprise  to  James,  and  the  movement  culminated  at 
last  in  the  battle  of  Sedgemoor.  The  Royal  troops 
came  upon  them  there,  when  Monmouth,  after  severe 
fighting,  was  defeated,  and  his  troops  fled.  After  the 
engagement  he  was  captured  in  a  ditch,  where  he  had 
concealed  himself.  His  dress  was  that  of  a  shepherd  ; 
he  trembled  greatly,  and  was  unable  to  speak.  Even 
those  who  had  often  seen  him  were  at  first  in  doubt 
whether  this  was  really  the  brilliant  and  graceful 
Monmouth.  All  was  lost  ;  nothing  remained  but  that 
he  should  prepare  for  death.  A  few  days  before  his 
execution  Monmouth  wrote  the  following  pathetic 
letter  to  James:  — 

RINGWOOD,  Sthjuly,  1685. 

Your  Majesty  may  think  it  is  the  misfortune  I  now 
lie  under  that  makes  me  make  this  application  to  you  ; 
but  I  assure  you  it  is  the  remorse  I  now  have  in  me  of 
the  wrong  I  have  done  you  in  several  things,  and  now 
in  taking  up  arms  against  you.  For  my  taking  up 
arms,  it  never  was  in  my  thoughts  since  the  King  died. 
The  Prince  and  Princess  of  Orange  will  be  witness  for 
me  of  the  assurance  I  gave  them  that  I  would  never 
stir  against  you  ;  but  my  misfortune  was  such  as  to 
meet  with  some  horrid  people,  who  made  me  believe 
things  of  your  Majesty,  and  gave  me  so  many  false 
arguments,  that  I  was  led  to  believe  that  it  was  a 
shame  and  a  sin  before  God  not  to  do  it.  But,  sir,  I 
will  not  trouble  you  at  present  with  many  things  I 
could  say  for  myself  that  I  am  sure  would  move  your 
compassion.  The  chief  end  of  this  letter  is  to  beg  of 
you  that  I  may  have  the  happiness  to  speak  to  your 
Majesty,  for  I  have  that  to  say  to  you  that  I  hope  may 


of  Barnes  VII.  283 

give  you  a  long  and  happy  reign.  I  am  sure,  sir,  that 
when  you  hear  me  you  will  be  convinced  of  the  zeal  I 
have  for  your  preservation,  and  how  heartily  I  repent 
of  what  I  have  done.  I  can  say  no  more  to  your 
Majesty  now,  seeing  this  letter  must  be  seen  by  those 
who  keep  me  ;  therefore,  sir,  I  shall  make  an  end  in 
begging  of  you  to  believe  so  well  of  me  that  I  would 
rather  die  a  thousand  deaths  than  excuse  anything  that 
I  have  done,  if  I  really  did  not  think  myself  the  most 
in  the  wrong  that  ever  any  man  was,  and  had  not  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  an  abhorrence  of  those  who  put 
me  upon  it,  and  for  the  action  itself.  I  hope,  sir,  God 
Almighty  will  strike  your  heart  with  mercy  and  com- 
passion for  me,  as  He  has  done  mine  with  the 
abhorrence  of  what  I  have  done.  I  hope  I  may 
live  to  show  you  how  zealous  I  shall  ever  be  for  your 
service ;  and  could  I  say  but  one  word  in  this  letter, 
you  would  be  convinced  of  it ;  but  it  is  of  that  con- 
sequence that  I  dare  not  do  it.  Therefore,  sir,  I  beg 
of  you  once  more  to  let  me  speak  to  you,  for  then  you 
will  be  convinced  how  much  I  shall  ever  be  your 
Majesty's  most  humble  and  dutiful,  etc., 

MONMOUTH. 

On  the  day  of  his  execution,  i6th  July,  1685,  Tower 
Hill  was  a  mass  of  spectators.  On  the  scaffold  he 
said  to  the  executioner :  "  Here  are  six  guineas  for 
you.  Do  not  hack  me  as  you  did  Lord  Russell  ; 
I  have  heard  that  you  struck  him  three  or  four 
times ;  my  servant  will  give  you  some  more  gold 
if  you  do  the  work  well."  It  is  said  the  hangman 
was  disconcerted  by  these  words,  and  became  nervous. 
The  first  blow  only  inflicted  a  slight  wound ;  Mon- 
mouth  struggled,  rose  from  the  block,  and  looked 
reproachfully  at  the  executioner.  The  head  sank  down 
once  more ;  the  stroke  was  repeated  again  and  again. 
Yells  of  horror  and  rage  arose  from  the  crowd ;  the 
hangman  flung  down  the  axe  with  a  curse,  exclaiming  : 
"  I  can't  do  it,  my  heart  fails  me."  "  Take  up  the  axe, 


284  TRopal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

sir,"  cried  the  Sheriff;  "Fling  him  over  the  rails,"  cried 
the  mob.  At  last  the  axe  was  taken  up,  and  two  more 
blows  completed  the  brutal  work.  The  hangman  was 
in  danger  of  being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  enraged  mob, 
and  was  conveyed  away  under  a  strong  guard  in  a  very 
expeditious  manner.  So  perished  this  young  nobleman, 
whose  career,  if  short,  was  brilliant.  He  was  by  no 
means  destitute  of  military  tactics,  but  he  allowed  his 
strong,  impulsive  nature  to  take  precedence  of  his 
wisdom  and  better  judgment.  His  remains  were 
interred  under  the  Communion  Table  of  St.  Peter's 
Chapel  in  the  Tower  of  London. 

There  is  no  sadder  spot  on  earth,  says  the 
historian,  than  that  little  cemetery.  Death  is 
there  associated,  not  as  in  Westminster  Abbey  and 
St.  Paul's,  with  genius  and  virtue,  with  public 
veneration  and  imperishable  renown,  but  with 
whatever  is  darkest  in  human  nature  and  in  human 
destiny,  with  the  savage  triumph  of  implacable 
enemies,  with  all  the  miseries  of  fallen  greatness  and 
of  blighted  fame.  Thither  had  been  carried,  through 
successive  ages,  by  the  rude  hands  of  gaolers,  without 
one  mourner  following,  the  bleeding  relics  of  men  who 
had  been  the  captains  of  armies,  the  leaders  of  parties, 
the  oracles  of  senates,  and  the  ornaments  of  courts. 
Thither  was  borne  before  the  window  where  Lady  Jane 
Grey  was  praying,  the  mangled  remains  of  Guilford 
Dudley.  Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset  and 
Protector  of  the  realm,  reposes  there  by  the  brother 
whom  he  murdered.  There  has  mouldered  away  the 
head  of  John  Fisher,  bishop  of  Rochester,  and  Cardinal 
of  St.  Vitalie,  a  man  worthy  to  have  lived  in  a  better 
age,  and  to  have  died  in  a  better  cause.  There  are  laid 
John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland,  Lord  High 
Admiral,  and  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex,  Lord 
High  Treasurer.  Not  far  off  sleeps  two  chiefs  of  the 
great  House  of  Howard,  Thomas,  fourth  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  and  Philip,  eleventh  Earl  of  Arundel;  Margaret 
of  Salisbury,  last  of  the  name  of  Plantagenet ;  and  the  two 


1Ref0n  of  3ames  VII.  285 

Queens  who  perished  by  the  jealous  rage  of  Henry 
VIII. 

Upwards  of  300  of  Monmouth's  followers  shared  the 
same  cruel  fate,  while  850  who  were  taken  prisoners 
were  transported.  According  to  Burnet,  the  King  was 
not  only  acquainted  with  all  the  barbarities,  but  had  an 
account  of  the  executions  sent  him  daily.  These  reports 
he  is  said  to  have  had  a  pleasure  in  reading  to  the 
foreign  ambassadors  at  his  levees.  When  Jefferies  was 
dying,  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower  of  London — a  death 
which  saved  him  from  execution — he  was  attended  by 
Dr.  Scott,  a  minister  of  the  time,  who  desired  him  to 
repent  of  the  cruelties  of  which  he  had  been  guilty  in 
the  days  of  his  insolence  and  power  ;  to  which  Jefferies 
replied  :  "Whatever  I  did  then  I  did  by  express  orders, 
and  I  have  this  further  to  say  for  myself,  that  I  was  not 
half  bloody  enough  for  him  who  sent  me  thither."  This 
invasion  being  subdued  by  a  wholesale  massacre  of 
innocent  people,  the  King  began  to  throw  off  the  mask 
and  to  enforce  openly  Popery  and  arbitrary  power.  He 
established  the  oppressive  and  vexatious  Court  of  High 
Commission  —  a  court  for  death  sentences  —  without 
consulting  Parliament,  and  was  responsible  for  various 
other  arbitrary  acts,  which  left  no  doubt  in  the  minds 
of  the  people  that  he  meant  to  destroy  their  civil  and 
religious  liberties.  Instructions  were  given  to  the  clergy 
not  to  preach  against  Popery  ;  and  printers  and  book- 
sellers were  not  to  publish  any  book  without  a  licence. 
Shops  were  to  be  searched,  and  any  books  found 
referring  to  the  errors  of  Rome  to  be  burned.1 

Following  the  invasion  and  death  of  Monmouth, 
Jefferies  undertook,  by  the  King's  order,  his  "  Western 
Circuit,"  which  resulted  in  a  great  massacre  of  people 
supposed  to  have  been  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly, 
with  this  rebellion.  Jefferies,  in  1663,  was  admitted  a 
member  of  the  Inner  Temple.  For  the  benefit  of  the 
reader  it  will  be  desirable  to  give  a  brief  retrospect  of 
his  remarkable  career : — He  was  particularly  famous  for 

1  Taylor. 


286  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

his  talents  and  cross-examination,  an  experience  which 
he  gained  in  defending  criminals  at  the  Old  Bailey. 
On  one  occasion,  beginning  to  cross-examine  a  witness 
in  a  leather  doublet,  who  had  made  out  a  complete  case 
against  his  client,  he  exclaimed :  "  You  fellow,  in  the 
leathern  doublet,  pray  what  have  you  for  swearing  ? " 
The  man  looked  steadily  at  him  and  said  :  "  Truly,  sir, 
if  you  have  no  more  for  lying  than  I  have  for  swearing, 
you  might  wear  a  leathern  doublet  as  well  as  I." 
Jefferies,  it  is  said,  was  often  twitted  with  this  when 
he  became  a  great  man.  In  early  life  he  was  dissipated, 
and  often  when  a  trial  was  over  he  would  recklessly  get 
drunk.  In  1671  he  was  made  a  Common  Serjeant  of 
the  city  of  London  ;  in  1678  he  was  appointed  Recorder 
of  London,  but  resigned  that  office  in  1681  because 
a  petition  had  been  presented  to  the  King  for  his 
removal ;  in  1683  he  was  appointed  Lord  Chief  Justice 
of  England.  In  1684  he  presided  at  the  trial  of  Sir 
Thomas  Armstrong,  who  was  outlawed  when  he  was 
beyond  the  seas,  and  being  sent  from  Holland  within 
the  year  sought,  according  to  his  legal  rights  in  law,  to 
reverse  the  outlawry.  When  brought  up  at  the  King's 
Bench,  Armstrong  was  attended  by  his  daughter  who, 
when  Jefferies  had  illegally  overruled  the  plea  and 
pronounced  sentence  of  death  under  the  outlawry, 
exclaimed :  "  My  lord,  I  hope  you  will  not  murder  my 
father."  Jefferies  :  "  Who  is  this  woman  ?  Marischal, 
take  her  into  custody ;  why,  how  now ;  because  your 
relative  is  attainted  for  high  treason  must  you  take 
upon  you  to  tax  the  Courts  of  Justice  for  murder  when 
we  grant  execution  according  to  law.  Take  her  away." 
Daughter :  "  God  Almighty's  judgments  light  upon 
you."  Jefferies:  "God  Almighty's  judgments  will 
light  upon  those  who  are  guilty  of  high  treason." 
Daughter  :  "  Amen  ;  I  pray  God."  Jefferies  :  "  So  say 
I  ;  I  thank  God  I  am  clamour-proof."  The  daughter 
was  carried  off  into  custody.  Armstrong :  "  I  ought  to 
have  the  benefit  of  the  law,  and  I  demand  no  more." 
Jefferies :  "  That  you  shall  have  by  the  grace  of  God  ; 


1Rdgn  of  James  VII.  287 

see  that  execution  be  done  on  Friday  next  according 
to  law ;  you  shall  have  the  full  benefit  of  the  law." 
Armstrong  was  beheaded  and  quartered  by  Jefferies' 
order. 

In  1685,  Titus  Gates,  the  ruffian,  was  charged  before 
Jefferies  for  perjury.  He  got  up  the  Jesuit  conspiracy 
to  assassinate  the  King,  and  by  swearing  falsely  caused 
several  respectable  and  innocent  persons  to  be  cruelly 
executed.  He  was  found  guilty  on  two  indictments 
and  received  the  following  sentence : — To  pay  a  fine 
of  1,000  merks  for  each  indictment ;  to  be  stripped  of 
all  canonical  habits  ;  to  stand  upon  the  pillory  and  in 
the  pillory  before  Westminster  Hall  gate  on  Monday 
for  an  hour  between  ten  and  twelve,  with  a  paper  over 
his  head  (which  he  must  first  walk  with  round  about  all 
the  Courts  in  Westminster  Hall)  declaring  his  crime  ; 
on  Tuesday  to  stand  upon  and  in  the  pillory  at  the 
Royal  Exchange  for  an  hour  between  twelve  and  two 
with  the  same  inscription  ;  on  Wednesday  to  be  whipped 
from  Aldgate  to  Newgate ;  on  Friday  to  be  whipped 
from  Newgate  to  Tyburn,  by  the  hands  of  the  common 
hangman  ;  on  24th  April,  every  year  while  he  lives,  to 
stand  upon  and  in  the  pillory  at  Tyburn  opposite  the 
gallows,  for  an  hour  between  ten  and  twelve ;  on  9th 
August  every  year  while  he  lives,  to  stand  upon  and  in 
the  pillory  at  Westminster  Hall  gate  ;  on  loth  August 
every  year  during  life  to  stand  in  the  pillory  at  Charing 
Cross  for  an  hour  between  ten  and  twelve;  on  nth 
August  the  like,  over  against  the  Temple  Gate;  on  2nd 
September  to  stand  upon  and  in  the  pillory  for  one 
hour  between  twelve  and  two  at  the  Royal  Exchange, 
and  to  be  committed  a  close  prisoner  for  life. 

The  Earl  of  Huntingdon  bitterly  reproached  Gates 
with  having  deceived  the  Houses  of  Parliament  and 
drawn  on  them  the  guilt  of  shedding  innocent  blood. 
He  was  the  author  of  a  plot  for  a  rising  of  the 
Catholics,  a  general  massacre  of  the  Protestants,  the 
burning  of  the  city  of  London,  the  assassination  of  the 
King,  and  the  invasion  of  Ireland  by  the  French, 


288  iRopal  ibouse  of  Stuavt 


After  his  first  flogging,  when  the  hangman  had  laid  on 
him  very  severely,  said  to  have  been  by  special  instruc- 
tions, he  had  borne  as  much  as  the  human  frame  could 
stand  without  dissolution.  James  was  asked  to  remit 
the  second  flogging,  and  he  replied  :  "  He  shall  go 
through  with  it  if  he  has  breath  in  his  body."1  The 
Queen  was  asked  to  intercede  but  refused.  The  second 
day  the  stripes  numbered  1,700.  Horrible  as  were  his 
sufferings,  which  he  survived,  they  did  not  equal  his 
crime. 

Next  came  the  trial  of  Richard  Baxter,  who  was 
prosecuted  because  in  a  book  on  Church  government 
he  had  reflected  on  the  Church  of  Rome  in  words 
which  might  possibly  be  applied  to  bishops  of  the 
Church  of  England  :  though  no  such  reference  was 
intended.  He  pleaded  not  guilty,  and  begged  on 
account  of  his  health  that  the  trial  might  be  postponed. 
Jefferies  :  "  Not  a  minute  more  to  save  his  life.  We 
have  had  to  do  with  other  sorts  of  persons,  but  now 
we  have  a  saint  to  deal  with,  and  I  know  how  to  deal 
with  saints  as  well  as  sinners.  Yonder  stands  Gates 
in  the  pillory,  and  he  says  he  suffers  for  the  truth  ;  and 
so  says  Baxter,  but  if  Baxter  did  but  stand  on  the 
outside  of  the  pillory  with  him,  I  would  say  two  of  the 
greatest  rogues  and  rascals  in  the  kingdom  stood  there 
together."  Baxter  wished  to  speak,  but  Jefferies 
exclaimed  :  "  Richard,  Richard,  thou  art  an  old  fellow, 
and  an  old  knave  ;  thou  hast  written  books  enough 
to  load  a  cart  ;  everyone  is  as  full  of  sedition,  I  might 
say  treason,  as  an  egg  is  full  of  meat.  Hadst  thou  been 
whipped  out  of  thy  writing  trade  forty  years  ago  it  had 
been  happy  ;  thou  pretendest  to  be  a  preacher  of  the 
Gospel,  and  thou  hast  one  foot  in  the  grave  ;  it  is  time 
for  thee  to  begin  to  think  what  account  thou  intendest 
to  give  ;  but  leave  thee  to  thyself,  and  I  see  thou  wilt 
go  on  as  thou  has  begun  ;  but  by  the  grace  of  God 
I'll  look  after  thee.  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  he  is  now 
modest  enough  ;  but  time  was  when  no  man  was  so 
1  Macaulay. 


of  Barnes  VII.  289 

ready  at :  '  Bind  your  kings  in  chains  and  your 
nobles  in  fetters  of  iron,  crying,  To  your  tents,  O 
Israel ! '  Gentlemen,  for  God's  sake,  do  not  let  us 
be  gulled  twice  in  an  age."  Baxter  got  off  with  a  fine 
of  £$oo.  Mr.  Wollop,  an  eminent  counsel,  defended 
Baxter.  Jefferies  said  to  him  :  "  Mr.  Wollop,  I  observe 
you  are  in  all  these  dirty  causes,  and  were  it  not  for 
you  gentlemen  of  the  long  robe,  who  should  have  more 
wit  and  honesty  than  to  support  and  hold  up  these 
factious  knaves  by  the  chin,  we  should  not  be  at  the 
pass  we  are  at."  Wollop:  "My  lord,  I  humbly  con- 
ceive that  .  .  ."  Jefferies  :  "  You  humbly  conceive, 
and  I  humbly  conceive  !  Swear  him  !  swear  him  ! " 

In  1685  Jefferies  was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Baron 
Jefferies  of  Wen,  and  he  occupied  his  time  in  trying 
to  compel  the  removal  of  the  Lord  Keeper  from  the 
Woolsack  in  order  to  make  way  for  himself.  He  then 
went  on  the  Western  Circuit  to  sit  as  judge  on  the 
political  rebels,  the  fruits  of  Monmouth's  invasion.  One 
of  the  first  to  be  tried  was  Lady  Alice  Lisle,  widow  of 
Major  Lisle,  the  charge  against  her  being  for  lodging 
in  her  house  one  Hicks,  who  had  been  in  arms  with 
Monmouth.  Thrice  did  the  jury  refuse  to  bring  a 
verdict  of  guilty,  and  thrice  did  Jefferies  send  them 
back  to  reconsider.  The  jury  staying  out  a  while, 
Jefferies  showed  a  great  deal  of  impatience,  and  said 
he  wondered  that  in  so  plain  a  case  they  would  go 
from  the  bar ;  he  would  have  sent  for  them,  with  an 
intimation  that,  if  they  did  not  come  quickly,  he  would 
adjourn  and  let  them  lie  by  it  all  night.  The  foreman, 
addressing  the  court,  said  ;  "  My  lord,  we  have  one 
thing  to  beg  of  your  lordship — some  directions  before 
we  can  give  our  verdict ;  we  have  some  doubts  whether 
there  be  sufficient  evidence  that  she  knew  Hicks  to  be 
in  the  army."  Jefferies  :  "  There  is  as  full  proof  as  can 
be,  but  you  are  judges  of  the  proof;  for  my  part,  I 
thought  there  was  no  difficulty  in  it."  Foreman ;  "  My 
lord,  we  are  in  some  doubt  of  it."  Jefferies  :  "  I  cannot 
help  your  doubts  ;  was  there  not  proved  a  report  of  the 

VOL.    II.  T 


2Qo  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

battle  and  the  army  at  supper-time  ?  "  Foreman  :  "  But, 
my  lord,  we  are  not  satisfied  that  she  had  notice  that 
Hicks  was  in  the  army."  Jefferies :  "  I  cannot  tell  what 
would  satisfy  you  ;  did  she  not  inquire  of  Dunn  whether 
Hicks  had  been  in  the  army  ?  And  when  he  told  her 
he  did  not  know,  she  did  not  say  she  would  refuse  him 
if  he  had  been  there,  but  ordered  him  to  come  by  night, 
by  which  it  is  evident  she  suspected  it.  But  if  there 
were  no  such  proof,  the  circumstances  and  management 
of  the  thing  are  as  full  as  proof  can  be ;  I  wonder  what 
it  is  you  doubt  of?  "  Lady  Lisle  :  "  My  lord,  I  hope — " 
Jefferies  :  "  You  must  not  speak  now."  The  jury  laid 
their  heads  together  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  and  then 
gave  verdict  of  guilty.  Jefferies  then  passed  sentence 
on  the  lady  :  "  That  you  be  conveyed  from  hence  to 
the  place  from  whence  you  came,  and  from  thence  you 
are  to  be  drawn  in  a  hurdle  to  the  place  of  execution, 
where  your  body  is  to  be  burned  alive,  till  you  be  dead ; 
and  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  your  soul."  The  King 
refused  the  most  earnest  supplications  to  save  her  life, 
saying  he  had  promised  Jefferies  not  to  pardon  her  ; 
but  he  changed  the  punishment  of  burning  into  that 
of  beheading,  which  she  actually  underwent.  His  next 
court  was  at  Salisbury.  Bills  of  indictment  for  high 
treason  were  found  by  the  hundred,  often  without 
evidence.  He  began  on  a  Saturday  morning  with  a 
batch  of  thirty  ;  of  these  only  one  was  acquitted  for 
want  of  evidence,  and  the  same  evening  he  signed  a 
warrant  to  hang  thirteen  on  Monday  morning,  and  the 
rest,  sixteen,  the  following  day.  An  impressive  defence 
was  made  by  one  of  them  named  Chardetock,  who  was 
charged  with  supplying  Monmouth's  soldiers  with  money, 
whereas  they  had  actually  robbed  him  of  a  considerable 
sum.  The  prisoner  objected  to  the  compelling  of  a 
witness.  Jefferies  said  ;  "  Villain,  rebel ;  methinks  I 
see  thee  already  with  a  halter  about  thy  neck  " ;  and 
he  was  specially  ordered  to  be  hanged  first.  On 
Monday  his  ire  was  kindled,  and  he  had  no  mercy, 
and  292  unfortunate  creatures,  because  they  were  con- 


of  Sames  VII.  291 

cerned  in  Monmouth's  invasion,  received  judgment  to 
die,  and  of  these  74  actually  suffered ;  some  being 
sent  to  be  executed  in  every  town  and  almost  every 
village  for  many  miles  round.  While  the  whole  county 
(Dorset)  was  covered  with  gibbeted  quarters  of  human 
beings,  the  towns  resounded  with  the  cries  of  men, 
women  and  children  who  were  cruelly  whipped  for 
sedition,  on  the  ground  that  by  words  or  looks  they 
had  favoured  the  insurrection.  A  notable  case  was 
that  of  John  Tutchin,  a  political  writer ;  he  had  said  : 
"  Hampshire  is  up  in  arms  for  the  Duke  of  Monmouth." 
On  his  conviction  he  was  sentenced  by  Jefferies  to  be 
whipped  through  every  market  town  in  the  county  for 
seven  years.  An  officer  of  court  observed  that  that 
meant  once  a  fortnight  for  seven  years.  Luckily  for 
Tutchin,  he  was  seized  with  smallpox  in  prison,  and 
was  discharged  to  prevent  the  disease  spreading. 

Jefferies  next  proceeded  to  Exeter.  There  38 
suffered  execution  out  of  243  ;  the  rest  were  either 
transported,  whipped  or  imprisoned.  At  Taunton 
(Somerset)  there  were  500  prisoners  ;  of  these,  Jefferies 
ordered  143  to  be  executed,  and  284  to  be  transported 
for  life.  A  considerable  harvest  here  arose  from 
compositions  levied  upon  the  friends  of  twenty-six 
young  virgins,  who  presented  Monmouth  with  colours 
which  they  had  embroidered  with  their  own  hands. 
The  fund  was  ostensibly  for  the  benefit  of  "  the  Queen's 
maids  of  honour"  but  a  strong  suspicion  arose  that 
Jefferies  participated  in  bribes  for  these  as  well  as  other 
pardons.  He  thought  his  prerogative  was  encroached 
upon  by  a  letter  to  Lord  Sunderland  informing  him  of 
the  King's  pleasure  to  bestow  1,000  convicts  on  several 
courtiers  and  100  on  a  favourite  of  the  Queen — security 
being  given  that  the  prisoners  should  be  enslaved  for 
ten  years  on  some  West  India  Island.  In  the 
remonstrance  he  said  that  these  convicts  would  be 
worth  £10  or  £15  a  piece;  and  with  a  view  to  his 
own  claim,  returned  thanks  for  His  Majesty's  acceptance 
of  his  services.  However,  he  was  obliged  to  submit  to 


292  IRo^al  Ibotise  of  Stuart 


the  Royal  distribution  of  the  spoil.  At  Bristol  only 
three  executions  took  place.  Jefferies,  looking  at  the 
end  of  his  campaign  to  the  returns  of  the  enemy  killed, 
had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  they  numbered  330 
besides  800  prisoners  ordered  to  be  transported.  In 
the  case  of  Prideaux,  a  west  of  England  gentleman,  a 
supporter  of  Monmouth,  a  reward  of  £500  with  a  free 
pardon  was  offered  to  anyone  who  would  give  evidence 
against  him,  but  none  could  be  found.  A  negotiation 
was  opened  with  one  Jennings,  agent  of  Jefferies,  for  the 
sale  of  pardons,  and  the  sum  of  £1  5,000  was  actually 
paid  to  him  by  a  banker  for  the  deliverance  of  a  man 
whose  destruction  could  not  be  effected  by  any  form 
of  law. 

The  King  and  Jefferies,  according  to  Lord  Chancellor 
Campbell,  were  equally  criminal,  and  both  had  their 
reward.  Jefferies  returning  from  the  Western  Circuit 
stopped  at  Windsor  Castle  by  Royal  command,  and 
there,  on  28th  September,  1685,  the  Great  Seal  of 
England  was  delivered  to  him,  with  the  title  of  Lord 
Chancellor.  He  took  his  place  at  the  Court  of  Chancery 
on  23rd  October.  The  public  and  the  profession  were 
much  shocked  to  see  such  a  man  at  the  head  of  the  law, 
but  notwithstanding,  there  were  plenty  who  gathered 
round  him.  Parliament  reassembled  on  gth  November, 
when  Jefferies  took  his  seat  on  the  Woolsack.  The 
King  addressed  the  two  Houses,  and  told  them  that 
he  could  rely  upon  nothing  but  a  good  force  of  well- 
disciplined  troops  in  constant  pay,  and  that  he  was 
determined  to  employ  officers  in  the  army  not  qualified 
by  the  late  test  for  their  employments.  When  the  King 
retired,  Lord  Halifax  said  "  they  had  now  more  reason 
than  ever  to  give  thanks  to  His  Majesty,  since  he  had 
dealt  so  plainly  with  them  and  discovered  what  he 
would  be  at."  Jefferies  proposed  that  a  humble  address 
be  presented  to  the  King  for  his  speech,  which  was 
agreed  to  ;  but  on  the  bishop  of  London  afterwards  mov- 
ing that  a  day  might  be  appointed  for  taking  the  speech 
into  consideration,  this  raised  an  animated  debate.  Lords 


of  Barnes  VII.  293 

Halifax,  Nottingham  and  Mordaunt  treated  with  scorn 
the  notion  that  the  Constitution  was  to  be  sacrificed  to 
a  point  of  form  ;  if  the  power  which  the  King  now  for  the 
first  time  had  openly  claimed  were  conceded,  the  rights, 
privileges  and  property  of  the  nation  lay  at  his  mercy. 
Jefferies  responded  in  a  very  arrogant  and  insolent 
manner,  and  the  House  compelled  him  to  make  an 
apology,  which  he  did  in  abject  terms.  Parliament  was 
prorogued,  but  did  not  meet  again  in  the  reign  of  James. 

On  2Qth  April,  1686,  the  Scottish  Parliament 
assembled  in  Edinburgh,  when  Queensberry,  the  High 
Commissioner,  having  been  dismissed  from  the  office  of 
Lord  Treasurer  because  he  would  not  change  his  religion, 
the  Earl  of  Moray  was  appointed  in  his  place  as  a 
reward  for  his  apostasy  to  the  Protestant  faith.  An  act 
for  the  removal  of  penalties  attached  to  the  Catholic 
worship  was  proposed  by  .the  King  to  the  Lords  of  the 
Articles,  without  whose  consent  no  measure  could  be 
laid  before  the  Estates  for  their  consideration,  but  the 
greater  part  of  the  bishops  opposed  the  King's  demand, 
and  they  were  supported  by  some  of  the  nobles.  Sir 
George  Mackenzie,  the  Lord  Advocate,  in  spite  of  his 
claims  on  the  gratitude  of  the  King  by  his  unscrupulous 
and  illegal  executions  of  many  of  the  Covenanters,  was 
dismissed  from  office,  an  act  which  was  highly  accept- 
able to  the  Scottish  people,  especially  the  Presbyterians  : 
and  Sir  John  Dalrymple  was  appointed  in  his  place. 

James,  after  the  receipt  of  this  information,  resolved 
that  he  would  have  no  more  to  do  with  Parliament,  and 
would  issue  his  commands  to  the  Privy  Council.  He 
charged  the  Privy  Council  to  rescind  the  laws  against 
Catholics,  and  permit  the  Catholics  the  free  practice  of 
their  religion,  and  to  set  apart  the  Chapel  of  Holyrood 
for  their  special  use.  Eleven  Protestants  were  removed 
from  the  Council  and  replaced  by  Catholics.  In  three 
successive  letters  of  Indulgence  he  announced  his 
desire  that  Catholics  and  Protestants  should  have  equal 
liberty  in  matters  of  religion.  The  first  two  letters 
prescribed  conditions  which  the  Presbyterians  refused 


294  IRogat  ifoouse  of  Stuart 

to  accept ;  the  last  so  far  met  their  wishes.  They  were 
now  to  serve  God  after  their  own  way,  provided  nothing 
was  taught  to  alienate  their  hearts  from  their  prince. 
The  recipients  thanked  the  King  for  his  generous  and 
surprising  favour.  Conventicles  were  in  full  swing,  and 
the  pursuit  of  those  who  frequented  them  as  energetic 
as  ever. 

The  trial  of  the  bishop  of  London  for  treason  took 
place  this  year.  The  proceedings  were  of  a  protracted 
and  uninteresting  character,  and  resulted  in  the  following 
sentence  : — "  Whereas  Henry  Compton,  Lord  Bishop  of 
London,  hath  been  convened  before  us  for  his  disobedi- 
ence and  other  counts,  as  mentioned  in  the  proceedings  of 
this  cause,  and  he  being  fully  heard  thereon,  we  have 
thought  fit,  upon  consideration  of  the  matter,  to  proceed  in 
this  our  definite  sentence,  declaring,  decreeing,  and  pro- 
nouncing that  he  shall  for  his  disobedience  and  contempt 
be  suspended  during  His  Majesty's  pleasure ;  and 
accordingly  we  do  by  these  presents  suspend  him 
peremptorily,  admonishing  and  requiring  him  hereby 
to  abstain  from  the  function  and  execution  of  his 
Episcopal  office,  and  from  all  Episcopal  and  other 
ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  during  the  suspension,  upon 
pain  of  deprivation  and  removal  from  his  bishopric. 
Sealed  with  the  Seal  of  the  Court,  6th  September, 
1686  ;  by  His  Majesty's  Commissioners  for  ecclesiastical 
affairs." 

In  the  Declaration  of  Indulgence  of  4th  April,  1687, 
the  King  avowed  that  it  was  his  earnest  wish  to  see  his 
people  members  of  that  Church  to  which  he  himself 
belonged  ;  but  since  that  could  not  be,  he  announced  his 
intention  to  protect  them  in  the  free  exercise  of  their 
religion.  He  had  long  been  convinced  that  conscience 
was  not  to  be  forced,  that  persecution  was  unfavourable 
to  population  and  to  trade,  and  that  it  never  attained 
the  ends  which  persecutors  had  in  view.  He  repeated 
his  promise  that  he  would  protect  the  Established 
Church  in  the  enjoyment  of  her  legal  rights,  a  promise 
often  repeated  and  violated.  He  then  proceeded  to 


IRefgn  ot  James  VII.  295 

annul  by  his  own  authority  a  long  series  of  statutes, 
and  he  suspended  all  penal  laws  against  Nonconformists 
and  Protestants.  He  authorised  both  Catholics  and 
Protestants  to  perform  their  worship  publicly ;  and 
forbade  his  subjects  on  pain  of  his  displeasure  to  molest 
any  religious  assembly.  He  also  abrogated  all  those 
acts  which  imposed  any  religious  test  on  a  qualification 
for  any  civil  or  military  office.1  This  declaration  is  said 
to  have  been  the  most  audacious  of  all  the  attacks  made 
by  the  Stuarts  on  public  freedom.  It  was  declared  to 
be  unconstitutional,  and  the  production  of  an  absolute 
monarch.  Fifteen  years  before  a  Declaration  of 
Indulgence  had  been  issued  by  his  brother  Charles  ; 
it  dispensed  only  with  penal  laws ;  that  of  James 
dispensed  also  with  all  religious  tests  ;  that  of  Charles 
permitted  Catholics  to  celebrate  their  worship  in  private 
only ;  that  of  James  authorised  them  to  build  temples 
and  walk  in  procession  in  London  with  crosses,  images 
and  censers.  Yet  Charles's  declaration  was  pronounced 
illegal.  The  Commons  resolved  that  the  King  had  no 
power  to  dispense  with  statutes  in  ecclesiastical  matters. 
Charles  ordered  the  instrument  to  be  cancelled  in  his 
presence.  Such  was  the  position  of  parties  that  James's 
declaration  was  well  calculated  to  please  those  by  whom 
all  the  other  attacks  of  the  Stuarts  on  public  freedom 
had  been  strenuously  resisted.2 

The  more  modest  Presbyterians  for  the  sake  of  peace 
agreed,  but  the  Cameronians  would  accept  no  favour 
from  a  despotic  sovereign  whose  allegiance  they  had 
renounced,  and  refused  to  accept  an  Indulgence  obtained 
by  the  sacrifice  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  realm. 
They  refused  to  give  security  for  their  loyalty,  and 
continued  to  hold  conventicles  in  defiance  of  the 
vengeance  ordained  against  all  who  preached  in  the 
fields.  James  Renwick,  their  great  champion,  became 
obnoxious  to  the  Government,  and  after  several  hair- 
breadth escapes,  was  apprehended  in  February,  1688. 
He  refused  to  retract,  adhered  resolutely  to  his  principles, 
1  London  Gazette.  *  Macaulay. 


296  IRosal  ibouse  ot  Stuart 

and  was  executed  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh. 
He  was  the  last  Protestant  martyr  who  suffered  in 
Scotland. 

The  King  intimated  to  the  Estates  that  he  was 
resolved  to  dispense  by  his  own  authority  with  all  the 
penal  laws  affecting  Roman  Catholics,  and  to  visit  with 
severe  displeasure  those  who  had  dared  to  thwart  his 
schemes.  Eleven  members  of  the  Privy  Council,  who 
had  opposed  his  designs  in  Parliament,  were  dismissed 
from  office,  and  Catholics  put  in  their  place.  In 
municipal  government  the  King  assumed  the  right  of 
nominating  the  chief  magistrates,  and  they  in  turn 
appointed  the  magistrates  and  council,  so  that  these 
elections  were  practically  transferred  to  the  Crown. 
The  King  then  intimated  that]  Catholics  would  now  be 
granted  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion,  and  would  be 
at  liberty  to  accept  such  offices  as  he  might  bestow. 
Judges  and  magistrates  were  forbidden  to  execute  the 
laws  against  Catholics.  A  chapel  would  be  fitted  up  in 
Holyrood  for  the  public  celebration  of  divine  service 
(Catholic  service).  He  became  anxious  to  conciliate 
those  who  differed  from  him,  and  in  1687  he  published 
his  declaration  for  liberty  of  conscience,  in  which  con- 
cessions were  made.  This  was  followed  in  July  by 
another  proclamation  abolishing  the  laws  imposing 
penalties  on  account  of  nonconformity,  and  all 
restrictions  except  the  prohibition  of  field  meetings.1 
In  the  matter  of  this  declaration,  William  and  Mary 
entirely  disapproved  of  it,  and  wrote  the  King  from 
Holland  that  they  deeply  regretted  the  course  he  had 
adopted.  They  were  convinced  that  he  had  usurped  a 
prerogative  which  did  not  by  law  belong  to  him  ;  against 
that  usurpation  they  protested,  not  only  as  friends  to 
civil  liberty,  but  as  members  of  the  Royal  House,  who 
had  a  deep  interest  in  maintaining  the  rights  of  the 
Crown,  which  they  might  one  day  assume.  Experience 
had  shown  that  in  England  arbitrary  government  could 
not  fail  to  produce  a  reaction  even  more  pernicious  than 
1  Wodrow,  vol.  ii. 


TReign  of  Raines  VII.  297 

itself;  and  it  might  be  reasonably  feared  that  the  nation, 
alarmed  and  incensed  by  the  prospect  of  despotism, 
might  conceive  a  disgust  even  for  constitutional  govern- 
ment. The  advice,  therefore,  they  tendered  to  the 
King  was,  that  in  all  things  he  would  govern  according 
to  law.  They  should  with  pleasure  see  Roman  Catholics 
as  well  as  Protestants  relieved  in  a  proper  manner  from 
all  penal  statutes,  and  Protestants  admitted  in  a  proper 
manner  to  civil  office ;  they  could  not  but  entertain 
grave  apprehensions  that  if  Roman  Catholics  were 
made  capable  of  public  trust  great  evil  would  ensue.1 

According  to  the  Constitution,  James  possessed  the 
right  of  naming  public  functionaries — political,  judicial, 
ecclesiastical,  military  and  naval.  In  the  exercise  of 
this  right  he  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  acting  in 
conformity  with  the  advice  of  the  House  of  Commons. 
It  was  evident,  therefore,  that  unless  he  was  strictly 
bound  by  law  to  bestow  office  on  none  but  Protestants, 
it  would  be  in  his  power  to  bestow  office  on  none  but 
Catholics.2  How  obstinately  James  was  determined  to 
bestow  on  the  members  of  his  Church  a  share  of 
patronage  out  of  all  proportion  to  their  numbers  and 
importance,  is  proved  by  the  instructions  which,  in 
exile,  he  drew  up  for  the  guidance  of  his  son. 

On  3rd  September,  1687,  James  arrived  at  Oxford  on 
a  visit,  and  it  was  a  characteristic  visit.  He  was  received 
with  all  the  honours  ;  the  students  in  their  academical 
robes  were  ranged  to  welcome  him  on  the  right  hand 
and  on  the  left,  from  the  entrance  to  the  city  to  the 
gate  of  Christ  Church.  On  his  arrival  the  Fellows  of 
Magdalen  College  were  ordered  to  attend  him.  When 
they  appeared  before  him  he  treated  them  with  great 
insolence :  "  You  have  not  dealt  with  me  like  gentle- 
men ;  you  have  been  unmannerly  as  well  as  undutiful." 
After  these  words  from  the  King  they  fell  on  their 
knees  and  tendered  a  petition  ;  but  he  would  not  look 
at  it.  "  Is  this  your  Church  of  England  loyalty?  I 
could  not  have  believed  that  so  many  clergy  of  the 
1  Burnet,  vol.  i.,  p.  710.  2  Macaulay. 


298  TRopal  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 

Church  of  England  would  have  been  concerned  in  such 
a  business.1  Go  home.  Get  you  gone  ;  I  am  King ;  I 
will  be  obeyed.  Go  to  your  chapel  this  instant,  and 
admit  the  bishop  of  Oxford.  Let  those  who  refuse  look 
to  it ;  they  shall  feel  the  whole  weight  of  my  hand  ; 
they  shall  know  what  it  is  to  incur  the  displeasure  of 
their  sovereign."  The  Fellows,  still  kneeling  before  him, 
again  offered  him  their  petition,  but  he  indignantly 
flung  it  down,  saying :  "  Get  you  gone,  I  tell  you  ;  I  will 
receive  nothing  from  you  till  you  have  admitted  the 
bishop."  They  retired  and  declared  that  in  all  things 
lawful  they  were  ready  to  obey  the  King,  but  that  they 
would  not  violate  their  statutes  and  their  oaths.  The 
King,  incensed  by  his  defeat,  left  Oxford  and  rejoined 
the  Queen  at  Bath.  His  obstinacy  and  violence  had 
brought  him  into  an  embarrassing  position.2  The  King, 
however,  was  determined  to  carry  out  his  views,  how- 
ever injudicious  these  might  be,  and  he  appointed 
special  commissioners — Cartwright,  bishop  of  Chester  ; 
Wright,  Chief  Justice  of  the  King's  Bench  ;  and  Sir 
Thomas  Jenner,  Baron  of  Exchequer,  to  exercise  juris- 
diction over  Magdalen  College.  On  the  2Oth  October 
these  men  arrived  at  Oxford  escorted  by  three  troops  of 
cavalry,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  commissioners 
took  their  seats  in  the  hall  of  the  College.  After  a 
long  debate,  in  which  the  learned  President,  John 
Hough,  defended  his  rights  with  skill,  temper  and 
resolution,  the  Bishop  put  the  question:  "Will  you 
submit  to  our  visitation  ?  "  Hough  replied  :  "  I  submit 
to  it  so  far  as  it  is  consistent  with  the  laws,  and  no 
further."  The  bishop  then  said  :  "  Will  you  deliver  up 
the  key  of  your  lodgings  ? "  Hough  was  silent ;  the 
question  was  repeated,  and  Hough  refused.  The  com- 
missioners then  pronounced  him  an  intruder,  and 
charged  the  Fellows  no  longer  to  recognise  his  authority, 
and  to  assist  at  the  admission  of  the  bishop  of  Oxford. 
The  great  majority  of  the  members  of  the  College 
declared  that  they  still  considered  Hough  their  rightful 
1  The  imposition  of  Popham,  a  Catholic  President.  2  Macaulay. 


TReian  of  James  VII.  299 

head.  Hough  rose  and  addressed  the  commissioners, 
pronouncing  their  proceedings  illegal,  unjust  and  null, 
and  appealed  to  the  Courts  of  Justice.  The  com- 
missioners became  furious,  and  the  proceedings  broke 
up  in  confusion.  The  bishop  of  Oxford  (James's 
nominee)  was  afterwards  installed  by  proxy,  only  two 
members  of  Magdalen  College  attending.  The  porter 
of  the  College  threw  down  his  keys  ;  the  butler  refused 
to  erase  Hough's  name  out  of  the  buttery-book,  and 
was  instantly  dismissed ;  no  blacksmith  could  be  found 
who  would  force  the  lock  off  the  President's  lodgings, 
and  the  commissioners'  own  servants  broke  open  the 
door.  Then  the  King,  as  he  had  threatened,  by  one 
sweeping  edict,  condemned  the  Fellows  to  expulsion 
from  the  College,  and  incapable  of  holding  any 
Church  preferment.  The  Vice-Chancellor  was  asked  to 
dine  with  the  commissioners.  He  replied  :  "  I  cannot 
eat  my  meals  with  appetite  under  a  gallows."  The 
College  was  thereafter  made  a  Roman  Catholic  seminary. 
Following  on  this  event  Barillon  reported  to  the  Court 
that  James  was  agreeable  to  a  scheme  to  settle  the 
crown  on  a  Roman  Catholic  to  the  exclusion  of  his  two 
daughters  ;  also  that  Tyrconnel,  James's  Lord-Deputy 
for  Ireland,  declared  he  had  the  King's  approbation  for 
separating  Ireland  from  the  Empire,  and  placing  the 
country  under  the  French  King,  so  soon  as  the  crown 
should  devolve  on  a  Protestant  sovereign.  At  this  date, 
however  (October,  1687),  it  began  to  be  whispered  that 
the  Queen  was  pregnant, and  these  schemes  were  dropped. 
By  order  of  James,  Jefferies,  in  1688,  surrendered  the 
Great  Seal,  after  which  his  career  came  to  a  speedy  end. 
The  approach  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  sounded  the 
death-knell  of  the  despotic  rule  of  James,  of  Jefferies, 
and  all  the  evil  counsellors.  There  was  a  strong  desire 
to  prevent  these  men  leaving  the  country,  and  ports  on 
the  Thames  were  carefully  watched.  Jefferies  arranged 
to  escape  to  Hamburg,  knowing  that  being  shorn  of 
power  he  would  be  torn  to  pieces.  He  cut  off  his 
bushy  eyebrows,  dressed  as  a  sailor,  and  covered  his 


300  TRo£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

head  with  an  old  hat.  Thus  disguised,  he  reached  his 
ship  lying  at  Wapping.  As  it  could  not  sail  till  next  day, 
he  went  on  board  another  vessel  to  pass  the  night.  The 
mate  of  the  coal  ship  treacherously  gave  information  to 
some  persons  who  had  been  in  pursuit  of  him,  that  he 
was  concealed  in  the  ship.  On  searching  the  vessel 
they  found  he  had  gone.  Next  morning  he  came 
ashore  and  ordered  a  pot  of  ale  at  an  adjoining  alehouse- 
He  rashly  put  his  head  out  of  an  open  window  to  look 
at  what  was  going  on,  and  was  at  once  detected  by  one 
of  the  crowd,  a  scrivener,  who  once  came  under  the 
lash  of  Jefferies  ;  on  which  occasion  he  said :  "  I  am 
escaped  from  the  terrors  of  that  man's  face,  which  I 
would  not  undergo  again  to  save  my  life ;  I  shall 
certainly  have  the  frightful  impression  as  long  as  I 
live."  An  immense  number  of  persons  crowded  round 
the  door  of  the  alehouse  at  the  scrivener's  proclamation 
that  the  sailor  was  Jefferies.  He  was  immediately 
seized,  put  into  a  coach,  and  taken  to  the  Lord  Mayor. 
The  Lord  Mayor,  Sir  John  Chapman,  was  a  timid  man, 
who  stood  in  awe  of  Jefferies  ;  instead  of  ordering  him 
to  stand  at  the  bar,  with  much  bowing  and  many 
apologies  for  the  liberty  he  was  using,  requested  that 
his  lordship  would  dine  with  him.  A  gentleman  in  the 
court  said:  "The  Lord  Chancellor  is  the  Lord  Mayor's 
prisoner,  not  his  guest ;  and  now  to  harbour  him  is 
treason,  for  which  anyone,  however  high,  may  have  to 
answer  with  his  blood."  It  is  said  the  Lord  Mayor 
fainted  and  died  shortly  after.  Jefferies  was  at  once 
sent  to  the  Tower.  He  was  assailed  by  the  Press  in 
a  manner  which  showed  how  his  cruelties  had  brutalised 
the  public  mind.  A  poetical  letter  to  him,  advising  him 
to  cut  his  throat,  concluded  :  "  I  am  your  lordship's 
OBEDIENT  SERVANT  in  anything  of  this  nature.  From 
the  little  house  over  against  Tyburn  the  people  are  almost 
dead  with  expectation  of  you."  This  was  followed  by 

a  letter   from    Hell   from    Lord    Ch r   Jefferies   to 

L —  C —  B —  W d.     Then  came  his  last  will  and 

testament : — "  In  the  name  of  AMBITION,  the  only  god 


IReign  of  James  VII.  s01 

of  our  sitting  and  worshipping,  together  with  cruelty, 
perjury,  pride,  insolence,  etc.,  I,  George  Jefferies,  being 
in  sound  and  perfect  memory,  of  High  Commissions, 
quo  warrantos,  dispensations,  pillorisations,  floggations, 
gibbetations,  barbarity,  butchery,  do  make  my  last  will, 
etc.,  concluding: — I  order  an  ell  and  a  half  of  fine 
cambric  to  be  cut  into  handkerchiefs  for  drying  up  all 
the  wet  eyes  at  my  funeral  ;  together  with  half  a  pint 
of  burnt  claret  for  all  the  mourners  in  the  kingdom." 
He  received  in  the  Tower  a  small  barrel  marked 
"  Colchester  Oysters,"  of  which  he  had  always  been 
fond.  "  Well,"  he  exclaimed,  on  seeing  it,  "  I  have  some 
friends  left  still,"  but  on  opening  it  the  gift  was  a  halter. 

The  Provisional  Government  issued  an  order  for  his 
more  rigorous  treatment  in  the  Tower,  with  an  intima- 
tion that  he  would  speedily  be  brought  to  trial.  Jefferies, 
however,  shortly  after  ipth  April,  1689,  died  in  prison 
before  the  trial  was  arranged  ;  he  was  only  forty-one 
years  of  age.  He  once  interfered  at  a  contested 
election  at  Arundel  ;  he  had  previously  got  the  Great 
Seal,  and  was  asked  to  go  down  and  countenance  the 
Tory  candidate ;  he  entered  the  town  hall  where  the 
poll  was  going  on  ;  and  the  Mayor,  who  was  the  return- 
ing officer,  having  rejected  a  Tory  vote,  he  rose  in  a 
passion  and  contended  that  the  vote  was  clearly  good, 
and  insisted  on  its  being  admitted.  The  Mayor  tried 
to  silence  him.  Jefferies :  "  I  am  the  Lord  Chancellor 
of  this  realm."  Mayor  :  "  Impossible  !  Were  you  the 
Lord  Chancellor,  you  would  know  that  you  have  nothing 
to  do  here  where  I  alone  preside  ;  officers,  turn  that 
fellow  out  of  court !  "  Jefferies,  abashed,  withdrew  to 
his  inn,  and  wishing  to  hush  the  matter  up,  asked  the 
Mayor  to  dine  with  him,  but  the  Mayor  declined. 

The  following  epitaph  was  laid  over  his  tomb  : — 

Here  England's  great  Lord  Chancellor  is  laid, 
Who  king  and  kingdom,  Church  and  State  betrayed  ; 
But  may  his  crimes  and  bloodshed  silent  lie, 
And  ne'er  against  the  English  nation  cry. 

(By  request  of  the  widows  of  the  West,  whose  husbands  were 
hanged  by  Jefferies  without  trial.} 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Persecutions  of  Charles  and  James — Second  Declaration  of  Indul- 
gence— Trial  and  sentence  of  seven  bishops — Birth  of  the 
Pretender — Rules  for  his  upbringing  —  Plot  to  assassinate 
James — Arrival  of  the  Prince  of  Orange — Escape  of  James — 
James  seized  and  returns  to  London — He  escapes  to  France 
— Seizure  of  Edinburgh  Castle  —  Holyrood  Abbey  looted — 
Seizure  of  the  Earl  of  Perth — James  disowned  in  Scotland — 
William  and  Mary  proclaimed — James's  arrival  in  Ireland 
—  His  Dublin  Parliament  —  Again  escapes  to  France  — 
Impeachment  by  the  Scottish  Convention — James's  invasion 
of  England  —  Jacobite  plot  against  William  —  Death  and 
Character  of  James. 

REIGN  OF  JAMES  VII. 

A.D.    1685—1688. 

IN  order  to  carry  out  his  Catholic  policy,  James  resolved 
to  have  a  packed  Parliament,  a  Parliament  that  would 
support  his  schemes,  and  in  the  London  Gazette  of 
I2th  December,  1687,  appeared  a  proclamation  announc- 
ing that  he  had  determined  to  revise  the  Commission 
of  the  Peace,  and  of  Lieutenancy,  and  to  retain  in 
public  employment  only  such  gentlemen  as  would 
support  his  policy.  In  carrying  out  this  plan  sub- 
committees were  appointed  all  over  the  country,  who 
corresponded  with  the  Central  Board  of  Westminster. 
The  persons  on  whom  he  chiefly  relied  were  the  Lords- 
Lieutenant,  but  many  of  these  refused,  including  the 
Earl  of  Oxford,  who  was  deprived  of  his  Lieutenancy. 
The  scheme  entirely  broke  down,  as  very  few  of  the 
Lords-Lieutenant  would  have  anything  to  do  with  it. 

The  persecutions  by  Charles  II.  and  James  VII. 
lasted  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-eight  years  ;  during 
which  time  it  is  estimated  that  no  less  than  18,000 

302 


of  5ames  VII.  s°3 

persons  cruelly,  and  without  sufficient  reason,  suffered 
death,  or  some  form  of  torture,  by  order  of  one  or  other 
of  these  two  tyrannical  rulers,  and  all  because  of  their 
religion  ;  nearly  2,000  were  banished  to  the  plantations, 
of  whom  some  hundreds  perished  on  the  voyage  by 
shipwreck  or  cruel  treatment ;  nearly  3,000  suffered 
the  horrors  of  imprisonment  in  loathsome  dungeons, 
and  many  were  subjected  to  torture  shocking  to 
humanity  ;  7,000  went  into  voluntary  exile ;  700 
were  killed  in  encounters  with  soldiers  ;  500  were 
put  to  death  in  cold  blood,  and  nearly  400  were 
murdered  under  the  so  -  called  form  of  law.1  But 
the  oppressive  and  despotic  conduct  of  James  in 
authorising  the  slaughter  of  so  many  people  for  no 
crime  whatever  except  that  they  had  been  caught 
reading  their  Bibles,  or  had  sheltered  some  of  the 
Protestants  or  Covenanters,  rendered  his  dismissal  from 
the  throne  desirable  as  soon  as  it  could  be  carried  out. 
The  Scottish  nation,  being  heartily  sick  of  his  rule, 
resolved  before  the  birth  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  on 
loth  June,  to  invite  his  son-in-law,  William  of  Orange, 
to  come  over  and  assist  them  in  administering  the  laws 
of  the  kingdom,  and  in  maintaining  the  liberties  and 
rights  of  the  people. 

On  27th  April,  1688,  the  King  issued  a  second 
Declaration  of  Indulgence.  In  this  paper  he  recited 
at  length  the  former  Declaration  ;  his  past  life,  he  said, 
ought  to  have  convinced  his  people  that  he  was  not  a 
person  who  could  easily  be  induced  to  depart  from  any 
resolution  which  he  had  formed.  As  designing  men 
had  attempted  to  persuade  the  world  that  he  might  be 
prevailed  upon  to  give  way  in  this  matter,  he  thought 
it  necessary  to  proclaim  that  his  purpose  was  fixed, 
that  he  was  resolved  to  employ  those  only  who 
were  prepared  to  concur  in  his  designs,  and  that 
he  had  dismissed  many  of  his  disobedient  servants 
from  civil  and  military  employment.  He  announced 
that  he  meant  to  hold  a  Parliament  in  November,  and 

1  Taylor. 


3°4  TRo^al  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

he  exhorted  his  subjects  to  choose  representatives  who 
would  assist  him  in  the  work  he  had  undertaken. 

There  is  an  anecdote  told  of  Admiral  Herbert  and 
King  James.  Closeted  with  the  King,  Herbert  was 
asked  if  he  would  vote  for  the  repeal  of  the  Test  Act ; 
his  answer  was  that  his  honour  and  conscience  would 
not  permit  him  to  do  so.  "  Nobody  doubts  your 
honour,"  said  the  King,  "  but  a  man  who  lives  as  you 
do,  ought  not  to  talk  about  conscience."  Herbert 
replied  :  "  I  have  my  faults,  sir ;  but  I  could  name 
people  who  talk  much  more  about  conscience  than  I  am 
in  the  habit  of  doing,  and  yet  lead  lives  as  loose  as 
mine."  This  was  pointing  at  the  King,  who  was  an 
immoral  man.  The  result  of  this  conversation  was  that 
Herbert  was  dismissed  from  all  his  offices  under  the 
Crown. 

On  5th  May,  1688,  he  made  an  order  in  Council  that 
a  declaration  should  be  read  on  two  successive  Sundays 
in  all  the  churches  of  the  kingdom.  In  London  only 
four  out  of  100  parish  churches  obeyed  the  order.  The 
clergy  of  the  Church  of  England  regarded  it  as  a 
violation  of  the  laws  of  the  realm.  On  i8th  May  seven 
bishops  met  at  Lambeth  Palace,  when  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  }  drew  up  an  answer  to  the  King  assuring 
him  of  their  loyalty  to  the  throne,  but  pointing  out  that 
Parliament  had  pronounced  that  the  sovereign  was  not 
constitutionally  competent  to  dispense  with  statutes  on 
matters  ecclesiastical.  The  declaration  was  therefore 
illegal,  and  the  bishops  could  not  be  parties  to  the 
solemn  publication  of  an  illegal  declaration  in  the  House 
of  God,  and  during  the  time  of  divine  service.  This 
paper  was  signed  by  seven  bishops,  including  the 
Archbishop.  The  six  bishops  presented  it  to  the 
King  at  Whitehall.  He  read  it  in  their  presence,  and 
was  greatly  surprised  at  the  refusal:  "  This  is  a  great 
surprise  to  me  ;  I  did  not  expect  this  from  your  Church, 
especially  from  some  of  you.  This  is  a  standard  of 
rebellion  ;  I  tell  you,  this  is  a  standard  of  rebellion." 
1  Sancroft. 


IReign  of  3ames  VII,  3°5 

"  Rebellion  !  "  cried  Trelawney,  one  of  the  bishops,  falling 
on  his  knees.  "  For  God's  sake,  sir,  do  not  say  so  hard 
a  thing  of  us.  No  Trelawney  can  be  a  rebel ;  remember 
that  my  family  have  fought  for  the  Crown  ;  remember 
how  I  served  your  Majesty  when  Monmouth  was  in 
the  West"  "  We  put  down  the  last  rebellion,"  said 
Lake,  another  bishop,  "we  shall  not  raise  another." 
"  We  rebel,"  said  Turner,  another  bishop,  "  we  are 
ready  to  die  at  your  Majesty's  feet."  "Sir,"  said 
Bishop  Ken,  in  a  more  manly  tone,  "  I  hope  you  will 
grant  us  that  liberty  of  conscience  which  you  grant  to 
all  mankind."  James  replied  :  "  This  is  rebellion  ;  this 
is  a  standard  of  rebellion.  Did  ever  a  good  Churchman 
question  the  dispensing  power  before  ?  Have  not  some 
of  you  preached  for  it  and  written  for  it  ?  It  is  a 
standard  of  rebellion;  I  will  have  my  declaration 
published."  "  We  have  two  duties  to  perform,"  said 
Ken,  "  our  duty  to  God,  and  our  duty  to  your 
Majesty ;  we  honour  you,  but  we  fear  God."  The 
King,  waxing  angry,  said :  "  Have  I  deserved  this  ?  I 
who  have  been  such  a  friend  in  your  Church  ;  I  did  not 
expect  this  from  some  of  you.  I  will  be  obeyed  ;  my 
declaration  shall  be  published  ;  you  are  trumpeters  of 
sedition  ;  what  do  you  do  here  ?  Go  to  your  dioceses, 
and  see  that  I  am  obeyed.  I  will  keep  this  paper,  I 
will  not  part  with  it ;  I  will  remember  you  who  have 
signed  it."  Said  Ken :  "  God's  will  be  done."  The 
King :  "  God  has  given  me  the  dispensing  power,  and 
I  will  maintain  it.  I  tell  you  there  are  still  7,000  of 
our  Church  who  have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal." 
The  bishops  then  retired  ;  their  conduct  was  rapturously 
applauded  by  the  people.  On  the  8th  June  these  seven 
bishops  were  tried  before  the  King  and  council  for  pre- 
senting this  petition  and  refusing  to  read  the  declaration. 
The  trial  was  brief,  and  the  bishops  were  put  in  the 
Tower,  going  in  a  barge  from  Whitehall  to  London 
Bridge.  The  excitement  was  intense  :  the  whole  river 
was  alive  with  boats.  When  the  bishops  came  forth 
under  a  guard,  thousands,  it  is  said,  fell  on  their  knees 

VOL.    II.  U 


306  iRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

and  prayed  aloud  for  the  men  who  had  confronted  a 
tyrant  inflamed  by  all  the  bigotry  of  Mary ;  many 
dashed  into  the  stream,  and  up  to  their  waists  in  water 
cried  to  the  bishops  to  bless  them.  The  Royal  barge, 
with  the  bishops,  passed  between  lines  of  boats  to 
London  Bridge,  the  people  shouting  :  "  God  bless 
your  lordships."  The  King  got  alarmed,  and  gave 
orders  that  the  garrison  at  the  Tower  should  be 
doubled,  and  that  two  companies  should  be  detached 
from  every  regiment  in  the  kingdom  and  sent  up 
to  London.  Even  the  sentinels  at  the  traitors'  gate 
asked  a  blessing  from  the  bishop  whom  they  were 
to  guard.  In  the  garrison  at  the  Tower  the  soldiers 
drank  to  the  bishops'  health  in  spite  of  their  officers. 
A  deputation  of  ten  Nonconformist  ministers  visited  the 
bishops  in  the  Tower,  which  displeased  the  King,  and 
he  sent  for  four  of  them.  They  courageously  told  him 
that  they  meant  to  stand  by  the  men  who  stood  by  the 
Protestant  religion.  On  the  29th  June  the  bishops  were 
tried  in  the  Court  of  King's  Bench  before  a  jury,  and 
acquitted  with  a  verdict  of  not  guilty.  The  verdict 
was  received  with  acclamation  ;  the  roar  of  the  multitude 
was  such  that  for  half  an  hour  scarcely  a  word  could 
be  heard  in  court.  The  whole  city  was  in  a  blaze  of 
rejoicing,  and  the  bells  of  the  churches  rang  for  some 
time.1 

The  Queen  was  at  St.  James's  Palace  on  loth  Junes 
1688,  safely  delivered  of  a  son,  afterwards  the  Prince 
of  Wales  and  Chevalier  St.  George — the  Pretender.  It 
was  maintained  by  the  Protestants  that  this  was  a 
surreptitious  child,  conveyed  clandestinely  into  the 
Queen's  bedchamber,  and  that  the  Queen  was  not 
pregnant.  This  theory  was  promptly  dealt  with,  and 
turned  out  to  be  a  fable.  The  Protestants  called  the 
child  the  Pretender,  because  it  was  said  he  was  the 
King's  child,  which  they  said  he  was  not.  It  was 
established  beyond  doubt  that  the  child  was  the  lawful 
son  of  James,  by  the  depositions  of  no  less  than  twenty 
1  Tanner  MSS.,  Sancroft  Narrative. 


MA.RY   OF   MODENA. 
Queen  of  Great  Britain.     Wife  of  James  VII. 

(By  Kneller,  Blair's  College  Collection.} 


Tojacep.  30S 


ot  3ames  VII.  307 

ladies  who  were  present  at  the  birth,  and  by  sixteen 
members  of  the  Privy  Council,  and  four  peers  who  were 
also  present,  and  whose  depositions  are  recorded  ;  and 
lastly,  as  the  child  grew  up  his  likeness  to  his  father 
was  undeniable.1  No  more  abominable  imposture  ever 
awaited  exposure  than  the  warming  pan  story  which 
led  weak-minded  people  to  believe  the  child  to  be 
surreptitious ;  and  although,  owing  to  his  own  honesty 
in  cleaving  to  the  religion  in  which  he  was  brought 
up,  the  Pretender  never  received  the  crown,  yet  the 
sympathy  of  thousands  who  shared  not  his  religion 
followed  him  to  the  death.2  It  was  not  until  many 
years  afterwards,  when  men  had  thought  over  the 
probabilities  and  looked  calmly  at  the  evidence,  that 
the  Pretender  was  believed  by  his  traducers  to  be  the 
son  of  King  James  and  Mary  of  Modena.  Queen  Anne 
gets  the  credit  in  some  quarters  of  having  invented  this 
story,  being  afraid  that  a  lawful  child  would  exclude 
her  from  the  throne,  and  certainly  this  was  not  without 
reason,  for  in  a  letter  of  2Oth  March,  1688,  to  the 
Princess  of  Orange,  she  says  : — "  When  anyone  talks  of 
her  (Mary  of  Modena)  situation,  she  looks  as  if  she 
were  afraid  we  would  touch  her.  Whenever  I  have 
happened  to  be  in  the  room  and  she  has  been  undressing 
she  has  always  gone  into  the  bedroom.  These  things 
give  me  so  much  suspicion  that  I  believe  when  the  time 
comes  no  one  will  be  convinced  'tis  her  child  unless  it 
prove  a  daughter."3 

There  was  no  doubt  in  the  King's  mind  as  to  the 
child's  legitimacy ;  the  elaborate  rules  he  laid  down  for 
the  upbringing  and  education  of  the  child  exceed  any- 
thing of  the  kind  which  is  to  be  found  regarding  any 
other  scion  of  the  House  of  Stuart ;  these  Rules  are 

1  The  Queen  was  much  annoyed  at  the  presence  of  Jefferies  in 
the  bedchamber  when  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  born.  The  Arch- 
bishop was  not  present,  as  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower.  Half 
the  Privy  Council  present  were  Catholics  ;  many  of  the  women 
French,  Italian,  Portuguese  ;  but  posterity  has  fully  acquitted  the 
King  of  the  fraud. — (Macaulay.) 

2  Macaulay.  3  Strickland. 


308  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

amongst  the  Stuart  Papers,  and  being  highly  original 
and  unique,  we  reproduce  them.    They  were  as  follows : — 

The  governor,  or  one  of  the  under-governors,  must 
constantly  attend  on  the  Prince  at  all  times  and  in  all 
places,  except  when  he  is  at  his  book  or  catechism  with 
his  preceptor.  The  two  under-governors  shall  wait  on 
him  week  about,  so  that  one  shall  always  be  within  call 
of  the  governor  to  receive  his  orders;  the  governor 
shall  sleep  at  night  in  the  Prince's  chamber,  or  in  his 
absence  the  under-governor-in-waiting.  He  is  also  to 
wait  on  the  Prince  at  his  meals  when  he  eats  in  his  own 
lodging,  but  when  he  eats  with  us,  the  governor  must 
wait  upon  him  only  at  such  times  when  any  gentleman 
of  the  bedchamber  waits  upon  us,  and  we  are  attended 
only  at  table  by  a  groom  of  the  bedchamber,  the  under- 
governor-in-waiting  shall  attend  on  the  Prince.  If  any 
of  the  Prince's  servants  shall  in  his  presence  say  or 
do  anything  rude  or  indecent,  the  governor  or  under- 
governor  -  in  -  waiting  shall  forbid  such  person  the 
Prince's  presence,  and  punish  him  according  to  his 
deserts.  The  offices  of  preceptor  and  governor  being 
independent,  these  officers  must  agree  on  the  time  to 
be  appointed  for  the  Prince  learning  his  book  and 
catechism  ;  certain  times  must  be  appointed  for  strangers 
to  wait  upon  the  Prince,  and  none  are  to  be  admitted 
who  come  at  other  times,  unless  the  occasion  is  special. 
No  one  is  to  be  permitted  to  whisper  in  the  Prince's 
ear,  or  talk  with  him  in  private  out  of  the  hearing  of  the 
governor  or  under-governor.  No  one  is  permitted  to 
make  the  Prince  any  present  without  first  showing  it  to 
the  governor  or  under-governor,  and  obtaining  leave  to 
give  it.  No  one  must  presume  to  give  the  Prince  any- 
thing to  eat ;  nor  any  flowers,  perfumes,  or  sweet  waters, 
etc.,  without  leave  from  the  governor  ;  no  books,  written 
papers,  or  anything  of  that  nature  to  be  given  to  the 
Prince  without  showing  them  to  the  governor  or  pre- 
ceptor and  getting  their  approval  ;  and  no  songs  to  be 
taught  the  Prince  but  such  as  the  governor  shall 


of  James  VII.  s°9 

approve,  No  children  to  be  permitted  to  come  into 
the  Prince's  lodging  to  play  with  him,  unless  sent  for  by 
the  governor,  and  then  not  more  than  two  or  three  at  a 
time.  The  proper  time  to  send  for  such  children  will 
be  after  dinner  or  supper ;  no  one  to  whisper  or  run 
into  corners  with  him  out  of  the  hearing  of  the  governor. 
The  governor  shall  receive  instructions  from  us  what 
children  are  suitable  to  play  with  the  Prince,  or  go  in 
coach  with  him.  Grooms  of  the  Prince's  bedchamber 
shall  serve  week  about,  so  that  one  be  always  in  waiting, 
the  other  in  half-waiting  ;  their  business  is  to  dress  and 
undress  him,  to  lie  by  him  in  turns,  to  wait  at  his  meals, 
and  to  follow  him  from  place  to  place ;  the  groom-in- 
waiting  shall  go  with  him  in  coach,  so  that  he  be 
sufficiently  attended.  One  gentleman  waiter  must 
always  attend  on  him  except  when  he  goes  abroad  in 
coach,  and  if  there  be  a  second  coach  such  waiter  shall 
go  in  it.  Pages  of  the  back  stairs  are  to  wait  weekly 
by  turns  ;  one  of  them  must  constantly  wait  at  the 
bedchamber  door  ;  they  are  not  to  talk  with  the  Prince, 
but  to  receive  their  orders  from  the  governor ;  the  foot- 
man also  must  serve  his  turn  the  same  way  ;  one  of 
them  is  always  to  wait  at  the  first  door  to  let  persons 
in  and  out,  and  must  not  leave  the  key  in  the  door. 
They  must  let  in  none  but  whom  they  know,  unless 
brought  by  some  of  the  family,  and  not  even  then,  till 
the  governor  be  acquainted,  and  his  leave  asked.  No 
servant,  page,  or  footman,  must  ever  open  any  door  for 
the  Prince  to  go  out  of  his  lodging  but  when  the 
governor  gives  orders.  The  Prince's  hour  of  rising  in 
the  morning  to  be  about  seven  and  a  half;  the  time 
between  that  and  nine  may  be  allotted  for  his  dressing, 
his  morning  prayers,  his  waiting  upon  us,  and  taking 
his  breakfast.  At  nine  a.m.  he  may  hear  Mass,  which 
done,  his  studies  may  begin,  and  may  be  continued  as 
long  as  his  preceptor  shall  think  proper.  When  his 
book  is  done  there  will  be  time  enough  between  that 
and  dinner,  which  will  be  about  twelve  and  a  half,  for 
dancing,  writing,  or  any  other  exercise  that  costs  but 


UDOUSC  ot  Stuart 

half  an  hour.  After  dinner  there  will  be  an  hour  or 
more  for  play  ;  and  two  hours  more  in  the  afternoon 
must  be  allotted  for  studies.  The  time  for  receiving 
company  will  be  at  his  levee  or  at  dinner ;  in  the 
evening  after  studies  are  done  and  at  supper.  Orders 
must  be  given  not  to  let  in  all  people  without  distinction, 
and  care  must  be  taken  that  those  who  are  admitted 
may  not  talk  with  the  Prince  too  familiarly.  What 
times  are  allotted  in  week-days  for  his  book  must  be 
employed  on  Sundays  and  holidays  by  the  preceptor  in 
catechism,  reading  of  good  books,  Christian  doctrine, 
and  the  like.  Money  appointed  for  the  use  of  the 
Prince  must  be  received  by  the  governor,  who  shall  lay 
it  out  according  to  his  discretion.  Anything  not  included 
in  these  rules  to  be  referred  to  us,  and  our  pleasure 
therein  shall  be  known. 

A  plot  to  assassinate  James  immediately  on  his 
abdication  of  the  crown  was  said  to  have  been  all 
arranged  by  Churchill  (Marlborough)  and  some  com- 
panions. The  matter  is  pretty  fully  recited  in  Carte's 
Papers,  No.  12  :  —  Sir  George  Hewit's  deathbed 
confession  of  Churchill's  intention  to  kill  James  II., 
communicated  to  Carte  in  a  letter  from  Alexander 
Malet  of  Combe  Flory,  September,  1745.  A  meeting 
took  place  at  Hatton  Compton's  lodgings  in  St.  Alban's 
Street,  London,  at  the  landing  of  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
attended  by  Churchill,  the  Bishop  of  London,  Colonel 
Kirk  and  others.  The  meeting  discussed  how  they 
could  best  further  the  designs  of  the  Prince  of  Orange 
and  defeat  those  of  James,  whose  success  would  ruin 
themselves  and  their  religion.  It  was  resolved  to 
secure  James  and  deliver  him  up  to  the  Prince,  but 
if  he  should  be  rescued  by  Papist  officers,  Captain 
Cornelius  Wood  and  Sir  George  Hewit,  as  James  was 
travelling  from  Salisbury  to  Warminster,  were  to  shoot 
him  ;  if  that  missed,  then  Churchill,  who  was  provided 
with  a  pocket  pistol  and  a  dagger,  and  was  travelling  in 
the  coach  with  him,  was  to  shoot  or  stab  him.  It  would 


of  Barnes  VII.  3" 

appear,  however,  that  James's  nose  fell  a-bleeding  at 
Salisbury,  and  the  journey  to  Warminster  did  not  take 
place.  We  hear  nothing  more  of  this  plot. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  complied  with  an  invitation 
from  England,  and  made  his  arrangements  to  come 
over  as  soon  as  he  could  complete  these.  It  was  on  the 
5th  November,  1688,  that  he  landed  with  14,000  troops 
at  Torbay  on  the  Devonshire  coast.  James  was  not 
slow  to  see  that  the  invitation  to  the  Prince  of  Orange 
meant  his  downfall,  and  like  all  great  tyrants  when 
their  end  becomes  visible,  he  collapsed,  expressed  his 
sorrow  for  what  he  had  done,  was  unbounded  in  his 
expressions  of  regret  for  the  past,  and  promised  to 
reform  and  do  better  for  the  future.  But  the  die  was 
cast,  and  the  day  of  reckoning  had  come.  His  High 
Commission  Court  with  its  death  record  was  at  once 
broken  up  and  abolished,  and  efforts  made  to  con- 
ciliate the  University  of  Oxford  by  reversing  James's 
orders  and  restoring  to  Magdalen  College  her  displaced 
Fellows.  The  bishops  were  once  more  received  with 
favour.  When  the  Prince  of  Orange's  intentions  were 
officially  communicated  to  him,  he  is  said  to  have 
nearly  fainted,  and  to  have  allowed  the  despatch  which 
brought  the  tidings  to  fall  to  the  ground.  His  first 
act  was  to  send  the  Queen  and  his  infant  son  to 
France  for  safety ;  he  then  resolved  to  fight  for  his 
life,  and  proceeded  to  gather  what  troops  he  could. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  James  at  this  period  had 
reached  the  mature  age  of  fifty-five  years,  and  his 
expressions  of  regret  and  his  undertaking  to  reform 
and  do  better  in  future  was  the  merest  attempt  to 
hoodwink  the  Privy  Council.  In  both  the  English 
and  Scottish  Parliaments  the  feeling  to  dismiss  him 
from  the  Crown  had  been  growing  for  some  time,  and 
every  opportunity  had  been  given  him  to  amend  and 
modify  his  tyrannical  administration.  The  result  was 
absolute  failure,  and  the  invitation  to  William  of 
Orange  was  adopted  as  the  only  alternative.  There 
is  one  point  in  these  deliberations  that  cannot  be  passed 


312  iRogal  Tfoouse  ot  Stuart 

over  without  notice.  When  the  Prince  of  Wales  was 
born  he  was  the  lawful  heir  of  the  throne,  although  he 
was  born  some  weeks  after  his  father's  dethronement. 

Walking  along  the  Pall  Mall  with  the  Earl  of 
Balcarres  and  Graham  of  Claverhouse,  James  asked 
them  how  they  came  to  be  with  him  when  all  the 
world  had  forsaken  him  for  the  Prince  of  Orange. 
Balcarres  replied  that  their  fidelity  to  so  good  a 
master  would  ever  be  the  same;  they  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  Prince  of  Orange.  Graham  also  professed 
his  fidelity.  "  Will  you  two,  as  gentlemen,"  said  James, 
"  say  you  have  still  attachment  to  me  ?  "  "  Sir,  we  do," 
was  the  reply.  "  Will  you  give  me  your  hands  upon  it 
as  men  of  honour  ?  "  They  did  so.  Said  James  :  "  Well, 
I  see  you  are  the  men  I  always  took  you  to  be ;  you 
shall  know  all  my  intentions.  I  can  no  longer  remain 
here  but  as  a  cipher,  or  be  a  prisoner  to  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  and  we  know  that  there  is  but  a  small 
distance  between  the  prisons  and  the  graves  of  kings ; 
I  have  resolved  to  take  a  temporary  refuge  in  France. 
When  I  am  there  you  shall  receive  my  instructions ; 
you,  Lord  Balcarres,  shall  have  a  commission  to  manage 
my  civil  affairs,  and  you,  Lord  Dundee,  to  command 
my  troops." 

Early  in  November  the  Prince  of  Orange  issued  his 
Declaration  to  the  English  people,  at  which  the  Jacobites 
were  struck  dumb  with  surprise.  James  ordered  Arch- 
bishop Sancroft  and  the  bishops  to  bring  a  written 
paper  renouncing  all  connection  with  this  Declaration. 
That,  of  course,  was  impossible,  as  Sancroft  was  said 
to  have  drafted  the  text  of  the  invitation  to  the 
Prince.  "  Where,"  said  the  King,  "  is  the  paper  that 
you  have  to  bring  to  me  ?  "  Sancroft :  "  Sir,  we  have 
brought  no  paper ;  we  are  not  solicitous  to  clear 
our  fame  to  the  world.  It  is  no  new  thing  to  us 
to  be  reviled  and  falsely  accused :  our  consciences 
acquit  us;  your  Majesty  acquits  us,  and  we  are 
satisfied."  The  King :  "  Yes,  but  a  declaration  from 
you  is  necessary  to  my  service."  He  then  produced 


.:. 

r 

si 


TReign  ot  James  VII.  3r3 

the  manifesto.  "  Sir,"  said  one  of  the  bishops,  "  not 
one  person  in  500  believes  the  manifesto  to  be 
genuine."  "  No,"  said  the  King  fiercely ;  "  then  those 
500  would  bring  the  Prince  of  Orange  to  cut  my 
throat.  This  paper  not  genuine !  Am  I  not  worthy 
to  be  believed  ?  Is  my  word  not  to  be  taken  ? " 
The  bishops  replied  :  "  This  is  not  an  ecclesiastical 
matter ;  it  lies  within  the  sphere  of  the  civil  power. 
God  has  entrusted  your  Majesty  with  the  sword ; 
and  it  is  not  for  us  to  invade  your  functions." 
Sancroft :  "  I  and  my  brethren,  sir,  have  already  smarted 
severely  for  meddling  with  the  affairs  of  State,  and  we 
shall  be  very  cautious  how  we  do  so  again.  We  once 
subscribed  a  petition  of  the  most  harmless  kind  ;  we 
presented  it  in  the  most  respectful  manner,  and  we 
found  that  we  had  committed  a  high  offence ;  we 
were  saved  from  ruin  only  by  the  merciful  protection 
of  God ;  and,  sir,  the  ground  thus  taken  by  your 
Majesty's  Attorney  was  that  out  of  Parliament  we 
were  private  men,  and  that  it  was  criminal  presumption 
in  us  to  meddle  in  politics.  They  attacked  us  so  fiercely 
that  for  my  part  I  gave  myself  over  as  lost."  "  I  thank 
you  for  that,  my  Lord  of  Canterbury,"  said  the  King. 
"  I  should  have  hoped  that  you  would  not  have  thought 
yourself  lost  by  falling  into  my  hands."  The  King 
insisted  on  having  from  the  bishops  a  paper  declaring 
their  disapproval  of  William's  enterprise,  but  they 
emphatically  refused.  The  King :  "  I  see  how  it  is ; 
some  of  the  temporal  peers  have  been  with  you,  and 
have  persuaded  you  to  cross  me  in  this  matter."  This 
they  denied,  saying  it  would  seem  strange  that  on 
a  question  involving  grave  political  and  military  con- 
siderations, the  temporal  peers  should  be  entirely 
passed  over,  and  the  prelates  alone  be  required  to 
take  a  prominent  part.  The  King :  "  But  this  is  my 
method.  I  am  your  King,  it  is  for  me  to  judge  what 
is  best.  I  will  do  my  own  way,  and  I  call  on  you  to 
assist  me."  The  bishops  assured  him  that  as  Christian 
ministers  they  would  do  so  with  their  prayers  and 


314  IRoEal  Ifoouse  ot  Stuart 


advice.  The  King  :  "  I  will  urge  you  no  further  ;  since 
you  will  not  help  me,  I  must  trust  to  myself  and  to  my 
own  arms."  '  The  meeting  dispersed,  everyone  being 
disgusted  with  the  King's  arrogance.  A  number  of 
peers  desired  a  meeting  of  a  free  and  legal  Parliament, 
and  a  petition  to  that  effect  was  presented  to  the 
King,  Sancroft  being  at  the  head  of  it.  The  King 
received  it  ungraciously.  "How,"  said  he,  "can  a 
Parliament  be  free  when  an  enemy  is  in  the  kingdom 
and  can  return  nearly  a  hundred  votes  ?  I  could  not 
prevail  on  you  the  other  day  to  declare  against  this 
invasion,  but  you  are  ready  enough  to  declare  against 
me.  You  have  excited  this  rebellious  temper  among 
your  flocks,  and  now  you  foment  it  ;  you  would  be 
better  employed  in  teaching  them  how  to  obey 
than  in  teaching  me  how  to  govern."  He  was 
displeased  with  his  nephew,  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  for 
signing  the  petition,  and  in  an  outburst  of  temper 
said  to  him  :  "  You  know  nothing  about  religion  ; 
you  care  nothing  about  it  ;  and  yet  you  must  pretend 
to  have  a  conscience."  Grafton  :  "  It  is  true,  sir,  that  I 
have  very  little  conscience;  but  I  belong  to  a  party 
which  has  a  great  deal."2  After  the  deputation  had 
gone,  the  King  said  he  would  yield  nothing  more,  "  not 
an  atom."  Not  only  would  he  make  no  overtures  to 
the  invaders  but  he  would  receive  none.  If  the  Dutch 
sent  flags  of  truce,  "the  first  messenger  would  be 
dismissed  without  an  answer  ;  the  second  would  be 
hanged."  Immediately  after  this  the  King,  having 
appointed  a  council  of  five  to  represent  him  in  his 
absence,  went  to  Salisbury  and  took  up  his  quarters 
in  the  Episcopal  palace. 

The  Prince  turned  out  to  be  a  man  of  irreproach- 
able character,  although  he  was  neither  a  determined 
nor  a  vigorous  man,  as  was  in  future  years  illustrated 
by  his  short  residence  at  Scone  in  1715  :  his  behaviour 
at  that  rebellion  indicated  that  he  would  have  been  a 
vast  improvement  on  his  father  had  he  obtained  the 
1  Clarke's  Life  of  James.  2  Ibid. 


of  James  VII.  315 

crown.  He  was  punished  for  the  sins  of  his  father, 
a  proceeding  which  posterity  will  disapprove.  If  James 
and  his  brother,  Charles  II.,  governed  the  realm  as 
dictators,  that  was  no  reason  why  the  heir  to  the  crown 
should  be  deprived  of  his  birthright.  The  Scottish 
people  in  1715  paid  a  high  premium  for  their  treatment 
of  their  unfortunate  Prince,  who  all  but  achieved 
his  rights  by  conquest  at  the  memorable  engagement 
of  Sheriffmuir,  and  would  undoubtedly  have  victoriously 
achieved  them  had  his  commander-in-chief,  John 
Erskine,  eleventh  Earl  of  Mar,  shown  more  military 
capacity,  and  been  equal  to  the  important  task  he  had 
undertaken.  Mar  was  a  grandson  of  Thomas  Hay,  sixth 
Earl  of  Kinnoull.  The  Prince  being  a  Catholic,  that 
no  doubt  also  contributed  to  his  defeat. 

In  a  half-hearted  manner  James  marched  his  troops 
to  Salisbury,  where  he  again  heard  of  the  approach  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange,  but  his  pusillanimous  conduct 
caused  his  generals  one  by  one  to  desert  him.  Even 
his  son-in-law,  the  Prince  of  Denmark,  left  him,  and  on 
his  return  to  London  he  found  that  his  daughter  Anne 
had  left  him  too,  at  which  he  exclaimed  :  "  Gracious 
God  !  am  I  then  deserted  by  my  own  children  ?  "  He 
summoned  a  Council  of  Peers,  and  informed  them  he 
would  convene  a  new  Parliament;  and  repeated  his 
assurances  of  supporting  Church  and  State  as  by  law 
established,  earnestly  appealing  to  them  for  their 
assistance  and  advice.  It  was  said  by  his  opponents : 
"  Where  are  the  looks  and  where  the  spirit  that  but 
yesterday  made  three  kingdoms  tremble  ? "  On  his 
way  to  Parliament  he  encountered  the  Earl  of  Bedford, 
whose  son,  the  celebrated  Lord  Russell,  was  beheaded 
in  the  previous  reign  at  the  instigation  of  James.  The 
King  asked  him  to  use  his  influence  to  help  him  in 
present  circumstances.  "  I  am  old,  sir,"  replied  Bedford  ; 
"  but  I  had  a  son  who  might  have  been  of  service  to 
your  Majesty  on  this  occasion."  James  was  silent,  and 
passed  on.  Betrayed  by  his  friends  and  deserted  by 
the  army,  he  began  to  realise  that  all  was  lost,  and  he 


si 6  iRo^al  fbouse  of  Stuart 

made  arrangements  to  escape  to  France.  At  three 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  nth  December,  attended 
by  Sir  Edward  Hales  and  two  servants,  he  left  White- 
hall by  a  private  passage  which  led  to  the  Thames, 
where  he  entered  a  boat  in  waiting,  rowed  by  two  water- 
men. He  carried  with  him  the  Great  Seal  of  England, 
which  he  had  ordered  Jefferies  to  surrender,  and  threw 
it  into  the  Thames.  It  was,  however,  afterwards 
recovered. 

James  crossed  the  Thames  at  Millbank  and  went  to 
Sheerness.  On  I2th  December  he  went  on  board  the 
Custom-house  boat  at  Faversham.  The  Kentish  fisher- 
men were  suspicious,  and  a  number  of  them  boarded  it 
just  as  she  was  about  to  sail.  The  passengers  were  told 
they  must  go  ashore  and  be  examined  by  a  magistrate. 
James  was  rudely  pulled  and  pushed  about,  and  his 
money  and  his  watch  taken  from  him.  The  prisoners 
were  put  on  shore  and  carried  to  an  inn,  where  James 
was  recognised.  The  fishermen  assured  him  that  they 
would  not  hurt  him,  but  they  refused  to  release  him. 
His  detention  created  great  surprise  in  London.  A 
council  of  the  Lords  ordered  a  troop  of  the  Lifeguards  to 
the  place  where  he  was  detained  and  set  him  at  liberty. 
The  King  was  suffered  to  depart  without  opposition  ;  he 
was  in  a  pitiable  state.  The  rough  treatment  he  had 
received  appeared  to  have  discomposed  him  more  than 
any  other  event  of  his  life,  and  it  is  said  the  remem- 
brance of  these  indignities  continued  long  to  rankle  in 
his  heart.  This  was  the  tyrant  brought  to  bay  at  last, 
and  a  sorry  exhibition  he  made.  He  had  plenty  of 
courage  and  insolence  when  there  was  no  one  to  oppose 
him  ;  but  when  he  got  a  rough  handling  from  these 
fishermen  who  did  not  know  him,  he  simply  collapsed. 
It  would  have  been  better  for  the  country  and  for  him- 
self if  he  had  got  this  rough  handling  a  little  sooner. 
He  returned  to  Whitehall  on  i6th  December,  and  sent 
a  message  desiring  an  interview  with  William.  This 
request  was  refused. 

James  was  in  bed,  when  at  midnight  his  privacy  was 


of  3ames  VII.  317 

suddenly  broken  in  upon  by  Lords  Halifax,  Shrewsbury 
and  Delamere  ;  they  informed  him  that  it  was  the  wish 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange  that  he  should  leave  next 
morning  and  go  to  the  Duchess  of  Lauderdale's  seat 
in  Surrey.  He  begged  that  he  might  go  to  Rochester, 
which  was  agreed  to.  In  Rochester  he  remained  till  23rd 
December.  On  that  night  he  retired  at  his  usual  hour, 
but  as  soon  as  the  company  were  gone  he  got  up  and 
dressed,  and  with  three  companions,  they  at  midnight 
rowed  down  the  river  to  a  boat  which  was  waiting  at 
Sheerness.  They  crossed  the  Channel  without  inter- 
ruption, and  on  Christmas  Day,  1688,  arrived  at 
Picardy,  and  were  heartily  welcomed  by  the  French 
King.1  After  the  flight  of  the  King,  the  Prince  of 
Orange  summoned  a  convention  at  Westminster,  when 
much  gratitude  was  expressed  to  the  Prince  for  the 
deliverance  he  had  achieved  for  the  nation.  They  then 
voted,  and  ordained  that  James,  having  endeavoured  to 
subvert  the  Constitution  and  withdraw  himself  out  of 
the  kingdom,  had  abdicated  the  crown,  and  the  throne 
was  thereby  vacant.  James  attempted  to  keep  up  a 
correspondence  with  the  Privy  Council,  but  the  revolu- 
tionary party  intercepted  his  communications.  This 
was  followed  in  Scotland  by  a  mob  determined  to  take 
possession  of  the  Chapel  Royal,  Holyrood.  The  Royal 
vault  was  opened,  and  leaden  coffins  enclosing  the  remains 
of  members  of  the  Royal  House  were  rudely  broken  up. 
Edinburgh  was  in  arms  ;  multitudes  of  the  citizens, 
escorted  by  the  magistrates  in  their  robes,  proceeded  to 
Holyrood  and  ordered  Captain  Wallace,  the  keeper,  to 
surrender  ;  which  Wallace  refused  to  do.  An  entrance, 
however,  was  secretly  effected  at  the  back,  and  the 
palace  and  chapel  were  soon  in  the  hands  of  the 
assailants.  Thereupon  the  ornaments  of  the  chapel — 
crucifixes,  pictures,  and  images — were  seized  and  paraded 
in  mock  procession  through  the  streets  of  Edinburgh, 
then  burned  within  the  precincts  of  the  abbey.  The 
Jesuits'  College  was  sacked  and  burned ;  its  printing 
1  Stuart  Papers. 


sis  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

press  and  library  destroyed,  and  many  of  the  private 
dwellings  of  the  Catholics  shared  the  same  fate.  The 
Earl  of  Perth,  Chancellor  of  Scotland,  had  gone  to  his 
residence  at  Drummond  Castle  to  be  out  of  the  way. 
He  was  a  tool  of  the  King,  and  did  whatever  he  was  told. 
His  conscience  smote  him,  and  he  thereafter  resolved  to 
escape.  He  reached  Burntisland  in  disguise,  and  took 
ship  there,  but  the  vessel  was  overtaken,  boarded  and 
searched,  and  the  Earl  discovered  in  the  hold  in  women's 
clothes.  He  was  seized,  stripped  and  plundered,  and  put 
in  Kirkcaldy  gaol,  after  which  he  was  placed  in  Stirling 
Castle,  where  he  remained  a  prisoner  four  years. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  those  English  nobles  who 
protested  against  the  abdication  of  James : — The  Dukes 
of  Somerset,  Grafton,  Ormond,  Beaufort,  Northumber- 
land ;  the  Archbishop  of  York  ;  the  Earls  of  Pembroke, 
Exeter,  Scarsdale,  Clarendon,  Craven,  Aylesbury, 
Lichfield,  Faversham,  Berkeley,  Nottingham,  Rochester, 
Abington,  Winchester ;  the  Bishops  of  Norwich, 
Lincoln,  LlandafT,  Gloucester,  Ely,  Chichester,  Bath 
and  Wells,  Bristol,  Peterboro',  St.  David's ;  Lords 
Delaware,  Chandos,  Brooke,  Maynard,  Lee,  Jermin, 
Arundel,  Dartmouth  and  Griffin.1 

Two  months  after  James  escaped  to  France  it 
occurred  to  him,  that  though  forsaken  by  the  English 
people  he  was  hopeful  of  Scotland,  and  his  lieutenant, 
Melfort,  Lord  Perth's  brother,  sent  to  Edinburgh  by  his 
instructions  an  appeal  to  replace  the  exiled  monarch. 
Even  in  his  hopeless  position  he  indulged  the  hope  of 
being  restored,  as  will  be  noticed  from  his  singling  out  in 
this  letter  those  who  would  be  pardoned  and  those  who 
would  not.  It  showed  how  deeply  rooted  in  his  blood 
was  the  spirit  of  revenge.  The  appeal  was  in  the 
following  terms  : — 

Whereas  we   have  been  informed  that  you   are   to 
meet  at  Edinburgh  some  time  in  March,  by  the  usurped 
authority  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  we  think  fit  to  let 
1  Harleian  MSS. 


TReign  of  James  VII.  3*9 

you  know,  that  as  we  have  always  relied  on  the  faith- 
fulness and  affection  of  you,  our  ancient  people,  so 
much  so  that  in  our  greatest  misfortunes  we  had 
recourse  to  your  assistance,  and  that  with  good  success 
to  our  affairs.  So  now  again  we  require  you  to  support 
our  Royal  interest,  expecting  from  you  what  becomes 
loyal  and  faithful  subjects,  generous  and  honest  men, 
that  you  will  neither  suffer  yourselves  to  be  cajolled 
nor  frightened  with  any  action  unbecoming  true-hearted 
Scotsmen.  And  that  to  support  the  honour  of  your 
nation,  you  will  not  continue  the  base  example  of  dis- 
loyal men,  and  stamp  your  names  by  a  loyalty  suitable 
to  the  professions  you  have  undertaken.  In  doing  so 
you  will  choose  the  safest  part,  since  thereby  you  will 
evade  the  danger  you  must  needs  undergo — the  infamy 
and  disgrace  you  must  bring  upon  yourselves  in  this 
world,  and  the  condemnation  due  to  the  rebellious  in 
the  next.  And  you  will  likewise  have  the  opportunity 
to  secure  for  yourselves  and  your  posterity  the  gracious 
promises  we  have  so  often  made  of  securing  your 
religion  laws,  property,  liberty  and  rights  which  we  are 
resolved  to  confirm,  as  soon  as  it  is  possible  for  us  to 
meet  you  safely  in  the  Parliament  of  our  ancient  king- 
dom. In  the  meantime,  fear  not  to  declare  for  us, 
your  lawful  sovereign,  who  will  not  fail  to  give  you 
such  speedy  and  powerful  assistance,  as  shall  not  only 
enable  you  to  defend  yourselves  from  any  foreign 
attempt,  but  put  you  in  a  condition  to  assert  our  right 
against  our  enemies,  who  have  invaded  the  same  by  the 
blackest  of  usurpations,  the  most  unjust  as  well  as  the 
most  unnatural  of  attempts,  which  Almighty  God  may 
for  a  time  permit  and  let  the  wicked  prosper.  Yet  the 
end  must  bring  confusion  on  such  workers  of  iniquity. 
We  further  advise  you  that  we  will  pardon  all  such  as 
shall  return  to  their  duty,  and  that  we  will  punish  with 
the  rigour  of  the  law  all  who  shall  stand  out  in  rebellion 
against  us.  Not  doubting  that  you  will  declare  for  us, 
and  suppress  whatever  may  oppose  our  interest,  and 
that  you  will  send  some  of  your  number  to  us  with  an 


320  IRopal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

account  of  your  diligence  and  the  position  of  our  affairs 
there,  we  bid  you  heartily  farewell. 

Given  on  board  the  St.  Michael,  ist  March,  1689. 
By  His  Majesty's  command. 

This  letter  was  read  with  surprise  and  indignation 
before  the  Estates  of  Scotland  on  i6th  March,  1689, 
and  must  be  regarded  as  a  remarkable  communication. 
Its  insincerity,  its  hypocrisy,  its  arrogance  are  con- 
spicuous throughout.  After  his  wholesale  massacres 
of  his  subjects  in  England  and  Scotland,  and  the 
Dunnottar  outrage,  this  letter,  asking  the  Scottish 
people  to  replace  him  on  the  throne,  was  a  gross  insult 
to  the  Scottish  Parliament. 

On  1 4th  March,  1689,  a  convention  of  the  Estates 
met  in  Edinburgh,  when  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  was 
by  a  majority  elected  President,  as  against  the  Duke  of 
Atholl,  who  was  put  forward  by  the  Jacobites.  This 
election  was  a  blow  to  the  supporters  of  James. 
Both  the  Prince  of  Orange  and  James  addressed 
letters  to  the  convention,  but  that  of  James  was  not 
read. 

On  4th  April  the  Estates  passed  a  vote,  declaring 
that  James  had  forfeited  his  right  to  the  crown.  The 
vote  contains  an  arraignment  of  James  for  the  offences 
held  to  justify  the  doom  pronounced  against  him. 
Among  those,  his  efforts  for  the  establishment  of 
Popery  are  conspicuous.  They  were  followed  by  a 
catalogue  of  outrages  against  the  liberties  and  rights 
of  the  people.  For  these  offences,  the  Estates  found 
and  declared  that  James,  being  a  professed  Papist, 
did  assume  the  regal  power,  and  acted  as  King  without 
taking  the  oath  required  by  law ;  and  by  the  advice 
of  evil  and  wicked  counsellors  invaded  the  fundamental 
Constitution  of  the  kingdom,  and  altered  it  from  a 
legal,  limited  monarchy  to  an  arbitrary,  despotic 
power,  exercised  the  same  to  the  subversion  of  the 
Protestant  religion  and  the  violation  of  the  laws  and 
liberties  of  the  nation  ;  inverting  all  the  ends  of  Govern- 


1Ref0n  of  3ames  VII.  321 

ment,  whereby  he  hath  forfeited  his  right  to  the  crown, 
and  the  throne  is  become  vacant.1 

On  nth  April,  1689,  the  Estates,  who  were  deter- 
mined to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  James, 
adopted  a  Claim  of  Right,  and  with  it  an  offer  of 
the  crown  to  William  and  Mary.  The  right  claimed 
was  the  constitutional  power  of  the  Estates  to  dethrone 
a  ruler  who  had  violated  the  laws  of  the  kingdom. 
This  instrument  was  composed  of  the  political  charges 
already  made,  slightly  altered  and  enlarged,  as  the 
reasons  for  forfeiting  the  crown.  On  the  same  day 
William  and  Mary  were  proclaimed  at  the  Mercat 
Cross  of  Edinburgh. 

To  convey  the  offer  of  the  Estates  to  the  two 
sovereigns,  commission  was  given  to  the  Earl  of 
Argyll,  Sir  James  Montgomery  of  Skelmorlie,  and 
Sir  John  Dalrymple,  as  representatives  of  the  peers, 
barons  and  burghs  respectively.  The  ceremony  took 
place  at  Whitehall  on  nth  May.  According  to  the 
Scots  fashion,  William  and  Mary  repeated  the  words 
of  the  coronation  oath  after  Argyll,  who  recited  them. 
William  declared  that  he  would  not  come  under  an 
obligation  to  be  a  persecutor,  but  the  words  were 
explained  to  his  satisfaction.2 

The  condition  of  Ireland  became  a  perplexing 
question  for  the  Prince  of  Orange,  particularly  as 
it  was  a  Catholic  stronghold.  The  Earl  of  Tyrconnel 
was  General  of  the  forces  there.  He  sent  Viscount 
Mountjoy,  and  Rice,  an  Irish  chief  baron,  to  France 
to  invite  James  to  come  over  to  Ireland.  James 
consented,  and  applied  to  the  French  King  to  assist 
htm  with  troops.  The  French  King  refused  to  give 
him  an  army,  but  a  fleet  was  ordered  to  be  in  readi- 
ness to  sail,  and  arms  and  ammunition  for  10,000  men 
were  put  on  board,  and  an  organising  force  of  400  was 
to  accompany  the  fleet;  and  gold  equal  to  .£112,000 
sterling  was  sent  to  Brest.  On  i$th  February,  1689, 

1  Minutes  of  Convention  of  Estates. 

2  Population  of  Edinburgh  at  this  date,  60,000  ;  Glasgow,  30,000 
VOL.    II.  X 


322  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

James  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  Versailles,  when  there 
were  great  demonstrations  in  his  honour.  It  was  the 
season  of  the  carnival.  In  the  evening  the  two  Kings 
made  their  appearance  before  a  brilliant  circle  of  lords 
and  ladies.  "  I  hope,"  said  Louis,  "  that  we  are  about 
to  part  never  again  to  meet  in  this  world  ;  that  is  the 
best  wish  I  can  form  for  you.  But  if  any  evil  chance 
should  force  you  to  return,  be  assured  that  you  will 
find  me  to  the  last  such  as  you  have  found  me 
hitherto."  James,  with  an  escort,  set  out  on  the 
journey,  and  arrived  at  Brest  on  5th  March,  1689. 
Count  Avaux,  French  Ambassador  of  The  Hague, 
accompanied  him.  James  arrived  at  Kinsale  on  I2th 
March  and  proceeded  to  Cork,  where  he  met  Tyrconnel. 
He  was  warmly  received  everywhere.  From  Cork  he 
went  to  Dublin  ;  the  entire  route  was  lined  by  Irish 
peasants  and  others  who  had  enthusiastically  welcomed 
him.  Long  frieze  mantles  were  spread  along  the  path  ; 
pipers  came  forth  to  play  before  him,  and  the  villagers 
danced  wildly  to  the  music.  The  women  insisted  on 
kissing  His  Majesty,  but  he  ordered  his  retinue  to  keep 
them  at  a  distance.  On  24th  March  he  entered  Dublin  ; 
in  one  place  was  stationed  a  troop  of  friars  with  a 
cross ;  in  another,  forty  girls  dressed  in  white  and 
carrying  nosegays.  Pipers  and  harpers  were  numerous  ; 
the  Lord  Deputy  carried  the  sword  of  State ;  the 
judges,  heralds,  Lord  Mayor  and  aldermen  appeared 
in  their  robes ;  soldiers  were  drawn  upon  the  right 
and  left,  and  a  procession  of  twenty  coaches  was 
mustered.  Before  the  castle  gate,  the  King  was  met 
by  the  host  under  a  canopy  borne  by  four 
bishops  ;  at  sight  of  them  he  fell  on  his  knees  and 
passed  some  time  in  devotion ;  he  was  then  conducted 
to  the  chapel  of  the  palace.  Next  morning  he  held 
a  Privy  Council;  discharged  Chief  Justice  Keating 
from  any  further  attendance  at  the  board,  ordered 
Avaux  and  Bishop  Cartwright  to  be  sworn  in,  and 
issued  a  proclamation  for  a  Parliament  to  be  held  in 
Dublin  on  7th  May.  From  Dublin  James  and  his 


ot  James  VII.  323 

followers  proceeded  to  Ulster  and  Londonderry ;  they 
besieged  that  town,  but  it  held  out,  and  James  returned 
to  Dublin,  where  he  convened  Parliament  on  7th  May. 
About  250  members  took  their  seats,  of  whom  only  6 
were  Protestants.  After  the  King's  speech  it  appointed 
a  Speaker,  expressed  its  gratitude  to  James  and  Louis, 
and  then  proceeded  to  business ;  the  policy  of  this 
Parliament  was  spoliation  and  slaughter. 

James's  next  act  in  Ireland  was  to  authorise  the  issue 
of  base  coin,  as  the  Irish  Exchequer  was  absolutely 
empty.  Pots,  pans,  knockers  of  doors,  pieces  of 
ordnance,  etc.,  were  sent  to  the  Mint  and  coined,  and 
abundance  of  base  coin  was  soon  in  circulation.  An 
edict  was  issued  declaring  these  to  be  legal  tender.  A 
mortgage  of  £  1,000  was  cleared  off  by  a  bag  of  counters 
made  out  of  old  kettles.  The  Protestant  merchants  of 
Dublin  were  the  greatest  losers  ;  any  man  who  belonged 
to  the  party  of  James  might  walk  into  a  shop,  lay  on 
the  counter  a  bit  of  brass  worth  threepence,  and  carry 
off  goods  to  the  value  of  half  a  guinea ;  legal  redress 
was  out  of  the  question.1  Some  who  refused  this 
money  were  arrested  by  troopers,  carried  before  the 
Provost  Marischal,  who  forced  them,  locked  them  up  in 
dark  cells,  and  by  threatening  to  hang  them  at  their 
own  doors,  soon  overcame  their  resistance.  This  Irish 
Parliament  of  James  passed  what  is  known  as  the  great 
Act  of  Attainder,  an  unexampled  act  of  oppression 
and  confiscation,  which  showed  that  James,  while  playing 
his  last  card,  which  he  was  now  doing,  was  as  destitute 
as  ever  of  the  common  feelings  of  humanity.  This  act 
was  to  benefit  the  Irish  Catholics  at  the  expense  of  the 
Protestants.  A  list  was  framed  containing  nearly  3,000 
names,  which  included  half  the  Irish  peerage — baronets, 
clergymen  and  merchants.  Days  were  fixed,  before 
which  those  whose  names  were  on  the  list  were  required 
to  surrender  themselves  to  such  justice  as  was  then 
administered  to  Protestants  in  Dublin.  If  a  proscribed 
person  was  in  Ireland,  he  must  surrender  himself  by 
1  Macaulay. 


324  IRo^al  Uxwse  of  Stuart 

loth  August ;  if  he  had  left  Ireland  before  the  5th 
November,  1688,  he  must  surrender  by  ist  October  ;  if 
he  failed  to  appear  by  the  appointed  day  he  was  to  be 
hanged,  drawn  and  quartered  without  a  trial,  and  his 
property  confiscated.  It  was  not  even  pretended  that 
there  had  been  any  inquiry  into  the  guilt  of  those  who 
were  thus  proscribed,  as  none  of  them  had  been  heard 
in  their  own  defence  ;  and  as  it  was  certain  that  it  would 
be  physically  impossible  for  many  of  them  to  surrender 
themselves  in  time,  it  was  clear  that  nothing  but  a 
large  exercise  of  the  Royal  prerogative  could  prevent 
the  perpetration  of  iniquities  so  horrible  that  no 
precedent  could  be  found  even  in  the  lamentable  history 
of  the  troubles  of  Ireland.1  To  complete  the  execrable 
nature  of  this  act,  care  was  taken  to  prevent  the  persons 
who  were  attainted  from  knowing  that  they  were  so 
till  the  day  of  grace  had  passed. 

Under  date  July,  1689,  Dublin  Castle,  he  wrote  the 
Earl  of  Dover : — "  Since  the  invasion  of  this  our 
kingdom  by  the  Prince  of  Orange,  we  have  changed 
our  design  of  going  immediately  into  England  for  that 
of  preserving  Ireland.  You  are  to  press  our  brother, 
the  most  Christian  King,  to  send  us  immediately  12,000 
muskets  or  firelocks  ;  the  more  firelocks,  the  better  for 
our  service.  You  must  press  him  for  1,000  barrels  of 
powder,  with  match  and  musket  ball  in  proportion ;  this 
kingdom  being  perfectly  destitute  of  things  of  that  kind. 
These,  with  a  present  supply  of  money,  you  must  press 
for  as  of  immediate  necessity,  and  that  no  time  be  lost 
you  must  have  the  arms  lying  at  Brest  for  our  service 
despatched  without  delay.  You  must  have  a  consider- 
able number  of  swords,  there  being  a  great  want  of  them 
among  the  forces  ;  sabres,  if  you  can  get  them,  are 
preferable  ;  and  belts  in  proportion.  You  must  also 
procure  6,000  foot  soldiers  of  the  most  Christian  King, 
without  which  our  affairs  will  be  in  great  danger.  Let 
him  know  that  all  our  interest  depends  on  this  one  step, 
and  its  expedition.  These  men  must  have  officers, 
1  Macaulay. 


of  James  VII.  325 

arms,  train  of  artillery,  boats  for  the  bridge,  and  all 
things  necessary  for  the  service."  It  does  not  appear 
how  the  French  King  received  this  extraordinary 
request,  nor  how  he  responded,  but  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne  followed  shortly  after. 

At  the  end  of  July  James  prorogued  his  Parliament, 
it  having  sat  ten  weeks.  The  siege  of  Londonderry, 
already  referred  to,  was  raised,  having  lasted  105  days, 
during  which  many  heartless  cruelties  were  perpetrated 
by  the  officers  of  James's  troops,  who  were  unsuccessful 
in  capturing  that  stronghold.  The  conduct  of  Rosen, 
his  general,  in  murdering  innocent  people,  who  were 
Protestants,  but  guilty  of  no  crime,  was  infamous  ;  it  is 
said  that  8,000  of  James's  troops  fell  at  this  memorable 
siege. 

The  Prince  of  Orange,  knowing  all  his  movements, 
advanced  into  Ireland. 

James  actually  proposed  to  desert  his  troops  and 
escape  for  his  life,  but  he  was  shamed  out  of  this 
cowardly  resolution.  Thereafter  took  place  the  famous 
battle  of  the  Boyne,1  when  James  was  totally  defeated 
and  compelled  to  return  to  France,  where,  it  is  said,  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  retirement,  devoting 
his  time  to  religion  and  indulging  in  the  deepest  remorse 
(so  it  is  said)  for  his  past  life  and  for  the  persecution 
and  brutal  atrocities  which  marked  his  administration  ; 
he  had  much  need  to  do  so.  We  have  few  details  of  his 
life  at  this  period,  but  he  was  spared  for  many  years, 
and  was  thus  afforded  time  to  reflect  on  the  inhumanity 
of  his  public  life,  and  on  the  shocking  massacres  of 
human  beings,  and  revolting  tortures  of  innocent 
persons,  of  which  he  had  been  the  author.  He  had 
reason  to  repent,  and  spend  the  evening  of  his  life  in 
supplication  to  Almighty  God  for  mercy  and  for- 
giveness. The  year  1690  had  not  passed  before  the 
discontent  in  England  became  serious,  and  influential 
men,  who  had  helped  to  bring  about  a  revolution,  were 
found  establishing  communication  with  the  ex-King  at 
1  See  William  and  Mary. 


326  IRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

St.  Germains,  while  at  the  same  time  they  were  sup- 
porting the  new  Government.  James  occupied  his  time 
in  trying  to  arouse  the  Catholics  on  his  behalf,  and  two 
letters  of  his  at  Windsor  Castle,  written  to  the  Cardinal 
of  Norfolk,  describe  the  situation  : — 

ST.  GERMAINS,  i$th  January,  1691. 

Some  days  since  I  had  yours  of  the  25th  November, 
and  do  not  doubt  of  your  continuing  to  do  your  part 
in  advancing  my  affairs,  and  if  they  had  not  had  the 
success  I  had  reason  to  expect,  I  am  sure  it  was  not  for 
want  of  your  soliciting  them,  of  which  Lord  Melfort  has 
given  me  an  account.  The  Prince  of  Orange  is  making 
great  preparations  for  the  next  campaign,  and  it  is  said 
by  all  the  last  letters  from  England  he  intends  to  head 
the  confederate  army  in  Flanders.  He  does  all  he  can 
to  advance  the  Protestant  cause  everywhere ;  why 
should  not  his  Holiness  do  the  like  on  his  side  ?  The 
King,  my  brother  here,  does  what  he  can,  but  he  alone 
cannot  do  all,  having  so  many  enemies  to  deal  with. 
The  Prince  of  Orange  has  sent  arms  into  Savoy  and 
Piedmont,  and  money  is  going  into  Switzerland  from 
him.  Why  should  not  his  Holiness  spare  me  some  to 
buy  arms  here,  to  begin  a  magazine,  that  for  anything  I 
know,  I  may  have  need  of  before  the  summer  be  over, 
and  then  I  suppose  he  will  be  sorry  I  should  want  them. 

JAMES  R. 

ST.  GERMAINS,  \^th  February,  1691. 

I  write  also  to  Lord  Melfort,  and  send  him  such 
credentials  and  instructions  as  will  be  necessary  for  him 
on  such  an  occasion.  I  shall  order  him  to  give  an 
account  of  his  instructions  that  you  may  consult  with 
him  in  endeavouring  to  get  such  a  choice  made  as  may 
be  for  the  advantage  of  Holy  Church  and  the  good  of 
Christendom,  choosing  such  a  one  as  may  be  for  the 
effectual  assisting  me  against  the  usurper,  and  doing  his 
best  to  draw  from  him  those  Catholic  princes  who  are 
in  league  with  him  to  their  own  shame  and  to  the 


of  Barnes  VII.  327 

hazard  of  the  Catholic  religion,  not  only  in  all  my 
dominions,  but  even  in  the  rest  of  Europe.  All  the 
world  sees  the  sad  effects  the  Emperor's  joining  with 
the  Prince  of  Orange  has  had  in  Hungary,  and  had  not 
the  King  of  Spain  and  Duke  of  Savoy  done  the  same, 
in  all  probability  before  this  I  had  been  restored  and 
the  Catholic  religion  established  as  it  was,  in  my  time, 
in  all  my  dominions.  I  should  think  that  these  con- 
siderations should  make  all  where  you  are  join  with  you 
in  the  choice  of  such  a  Pope  as  would  bestir  himself  for 
the  good  of  the  Church.  The  most  Christian  King's 
concerns  and  mine  are  so  united  that  all  who  wish  me 
well  must  join  with  his  share  in  the  choice  which  is  to 
be  made,  which  I  certainly  recommend  you  to  do,  and 
that  there  may  be  a  good  understanding  between  you 
and  the  Cardinal  d'Este  for  the  good  of  my  interests 
there,  which  I  am  sure  you  will  continue  to  do,  as  you 
have  always  done,  of  which  I  am  very  sensible. 

JAMES  R. 

James,  in  1692,  according  to  the  Stuart  Papers,  had  a 
Utopian  scheme  for  invading  England  and  reascendingthe 
throne  after  he  had  vanquished  William.  He  declared 
he  had  no  design  of  a  conquest,  and  brought  only  such 
an  army  as  he  was  desired  by  his  subjects  to  bring  ;  he 
was  resolved  to  call  a  free  Parliament ;  to  establish  the 
peace  of  the  nation  by  its  advice,  and  a  thorough  liberty 
of  conscience  by  its  authority ;  he  would  protect  the 
Church  established  by  law,  and  fill  up  all  vacancies 
with  the  most  deserving  of  its  communion.  If,  after 
establishing  the  liberty  of  conscience,  Parliament  judged 
any  further  law  necessary  for  the  security  of  the 
Church,  he  would  consent  to  these,  and  never  dispense 
again  with  any  laws  relating  to  religion.  As  a  proof  of 
the  future  lenity  of  his  reign,  he  offered  a  full  pardon 
and  indemnity  to  such  of  his  subjects  as  after  a  certain 
day  should  declare  for  him  :  "  Excepting  .  .  .  and  such 
others  of  our  subjects  as  Parliament  shall  think  fit  to 
except ;  by  which  we  are  resolved  to  be  advised  in  this 


328  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

matter,  resolving  not  to  follow  the  dictates  of  our  own 
just  resentment,  but  such  measures  and  methods  of 
law  as  they  shall  advise  for  the  weal  of  our  people  ; 
reserving  always  our  undoubted  right  of  pardoning 
even  the  worst  offenders,  if  they  shall  deserve  it." 
James  summoned  all  his  subjects  to  take  arms  and 
assist  him  by  bringing  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Orange  and  their  abettors  into  his  power,  or  by  driving 
them  out  of  the  kingdom.  He  promised  his  protection 
to  such  strangers  as  declared  for  him  ;  "  but  to  those 
who  shall  remain  obstinate  against  us  we  shall  show 
the  treatment  due  to  invaders  of  a  lawful  king  without 
declaring  war  under  the  command  of  one  who,  being 
a  subject,  had  no  power  to  declare  it." 

Nothing  was  more  natural  than  that  the  supporters 
of  James  should  fight  hard  before  being  extinguished. 
Even  on  their  own  showing,  the  success  of  their  cause 
depended  very  much  on  the  support  of  the  French 
King.  James  sent  an  ambassador  to  Rome  who 
succeeded  in  getting  20,000  crowns  from  the  Pope. 
This  latter  movement  culminated  in  the  naval  battle 
of  La  Hogue,  when  James  was  defeated. 

Under  date  28th  December,  1693,  Sir  George  Barclay 
wrote  James : — "  The  Earl  of  Clarendon  has  com- 
missioned me  to  tell  you  that  at  any  time  within 
three  months  your  Majesty  may  make  a  descent  with 
success,  but  your  affairs  will  suffer  by  a  longer  delay, 
and  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  again  such  an  opportunity. 
The  Earl  of  Lichfield  says  that  he  answers  to  your 
Majesty  for  the  county  of  Oxford,  as  Lord  Lindsay 
does  for  the  county  of  Lincoln.  There  is  no  time  to 
be  lost ;  people  in  general  are  not  willing  to  engage 
themselves  in  your  cause,  but  in  the  hope  that  you 
will  come  soon.  Sir  John  Fenwick  and  several  others 
are  of  opinion  that  you  may  delay  your  coming  too 
long,  and  can  never  come  too  soon.  In  their  opinion, 
it  is  not  proper  to  come  with  less  than  30,000  men,  a 
good  train  of  artillery  and  some  arms.  Lord  Breadalbane 
believes  that  Parliament  will  take  the  management  of 


TReign  of  James  VII.  329 

the  fleet,  and  that  they  will  render  it  very  formidable. 
He  is  of  opinion  that  it  is  proper  to  send  some  troops 
to  Scotland,  and  desires  you  to  acquaint  him  if  it  is 
your  wish  that  he  should  go  there."  Various  communi- 
cations of  a  similar  nature  followed  from  Jacobites  in 
various  parts  of  England.  James,  however,  was  unable 
to  find  the  means  of  carrying  out  the  scheme,  and  in 
February,  1694,  issued  the  following  instructions : — 
"  You  are  to  return  our  most  hearty  thanks  to  all  the 
friends  for  their  zeal  and  constancy  in  our  service.  The 
information  they  have  supplied  was  at  the  request  of 
the  French  King  to  inform  him  of  the  state  of  our 
kingdom,  that  if  possible  on  the  first  opportunity  he 
might  endeavour  to  obtain  our  restoration.  .  .  .  The 
stopping  of  so  many  of  the  men  of  war  designed  for 
the  Straits  has  left  London  in  such  a  condition  to  fit 
out  a  squadron  of  ships  equal  to  what  he  can  arm,  if  not 
superior,  besides  what  Holland  can  furnish,  that  it  has 
put  it  out  of  his  power  at  this  time  to  attempt  anything 
so  considerable  as  the  sending  of  30,000  men  out  of 
his  kingdom,  and  hazarding  so  considerable  a  part 
of  his  navy  in  the  Channel,  where  he  has  no  port  to 
befriend  him,  and  may  be  in  danger  of  meeting  a 
greater  force.  You  shall  let  them  know  that  this 
delay  is  a  greater  disappointment  to  us,  and  even  to 
the  French  King,  than  it  can  be  to  them."  We  find 
recorded  an  extraordinary  story  of  James's  cruelty. 

The  fate  of  James  Seton,  the  Protestant  Earl  of 
Dunfermline  (fourth  Earl),  is  another  blot  on  the 
character  of  James,  who  seems  to  have  thought  that 
the  strongest  proof  of  kindness  which  he  could  give  the 
heretics  who  had  resigned  wealth,  country,  and  family 
for  his  sake,  was  to  suffer  them  to  be  beset  on  their 
dying  beds  by  his  priests.  If  some  sick  man  suffered 
a  wafer  to  be  thrust  into  his  mouth  a  great  work  of 
grace  was  announced  to  the  Court,  and  the  patient 
buried  with  all  the  pomp  of  religion.  But  if  a  Royalist 
of  the  highest  rank  died  professing  attachment  to  the 
Protestant  religion,  a  hole  was  dug  in  the  fields,  and  at 


33°  1Ro£al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

dead  of  night  he  was  flung  into  it  and  covered  up  like 
a  mass  of  carrion.  Such  were  the  obsequies  of  the  Earl 
of  Dunfermline,  who  had  served  the  House  of  Stuart  at 
the  hazard  of  his  life  and  the  ruin  of  his  fortunes,  who 
had  fought  at  Killicrankie,  and  who  had  after  the  victory 
lifted  from  the  earth  the  mortally  wounded  Claverhouse. 
While  living  he  had  been  treated  with  contumely  ;  the 
bigots  who  ruled  the  Court  of  James  refused  Dunferm- 
line the  means  of  subsistence  ;  he  died  at  St.  Germains 
in  1694  of  a  broken  heart,  and  they  refused  him  even 
a  grave.1  This  }year  the  Earl  of  Middleton  crossed  the 
Channel  and  made  his  appearance  at  St.  Germains. 
He  was  graciously  received,  and  appointed  Secretary  of 
State  jointly  with  Melfort.  The  friends  of  James  in 
London  informed  him  that  his  Declaration  of  April, 
1692,  was  read  with  deep  affliction  by  his  supporters, 
that  it  had  been  printed  and  circulated  by  the  usurpers, 
that  it  had  done  more  than  all  the  libels  of  the  Whigs 
to  inflame  the  nation  against  him,  and  that  it  was  the 
cause  of  the  defeat  at  La  Hogue.  All  this  did  not 
seem  to  affect  him,  and  it  soon  appeared  that  he  was 
fully  resolved  never  to  resign  the  crown.  He  pleaded 
his  conscience  ;  could  a  son  of  the  Catholic  Church 
bind  him  to  protect  and  defend  heresy,  and  enforce  a 
law  which  excluded  true  believers  from  office  ? 

In  1696  there  was  a  Jacobite  plot  for  the  assassination 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  championed  and  instructed  by 
the  ex-King,  James,  and  led  by  Sir  George  Barclay. 
There  was  to  be  a  Jacobite  insurrection,  the  removal 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange  from  the  throne,  and  thereafter 
his  assasssination.  This  dastardly  plot,  however,  more 
fully  described  under  William  and  Mary,  fell  through. 

The  ex-King  was  several  years  in  exile  before  his 
death.  Shortly  before  the  close  of  his  life  he  wrote  the 
following  farewell  to  his  son  : — "  I  am  now  leaving  this 
world,  which  has  been  to  me  a  sea  of  storms  and 
tempests,  it  being  the  Almighty's  will  to  wean  me  from 
it  by  many  great  afflictions.  Serve  Him  with  all  your 
1  Macaulay. 


1Ref0n  of  Sames  VII.  331 

power,  and  never  put  the  crown  of  England  in  com- 
petition with  your  eternal  salvation.  There  is  no 
slavery  like  sin,  and  no  liberty  like  His  service.  If  His 
holy  Providence  shall  think  fit  to  seat  you  on  the  throne 
of  your  Royal  ancestors,  govern  your  people  with  justice 
and  clemency.  Remember  kings  are  not  made  for 
themselves,  but  for  the  good  of  the  people.  Set  before 
your  eyes  in  your  own  actions  a  pattern  of  all  manner 
of  virtues  ;  consider  them  as  your  children  ;  you  are  the 
child  of  vows  and  prayers  ;  behave  yourself  accordingly. 
Honour  your  mother  that  your  days  may  be  long,  and 
be  always  a  kind  brother  to  your  sister  that  you  may 
reap  the  blessings  of  concord  and  unity."  James's 
devotion  to  the  Catholic  religion  remained  unshaken 
till  his  death. 

On  Good  Friday,  1701,  James  had  a  stroke  of 
paralysis.  While  he  was  listening  in  his  chapel  to 
the  solemn  service  of  the  day  he  fell  down  and 
remained  long  insensible,  but  afterwards  recovered. 
On  the  1 3th  September  he  had  a  second  attack,  which 
was  a  final  stroke.  He  received  the  last  Sacrament 
with  every  mark  of  devotion.  He  declared  that  he 
had  pardoned  all  his  enemies,  naming  especially  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  the  Princess  of  Denmark,  and  the 
Emperor.  The  French  King  was  to  the  last  most 
attentive  to  him  ;  he  would  not  allow  his  coach  to  enter 
the  court  lest  the  noise  of  the  wheels  should  be  heard 
in  the  sick-room.  He  paid  a  last  visit  shortly  before 
the  end  ;  James  scarcely  opened  his  eyes,  and  closed 
them  again.  "  I  have  something,"  said  Louis,  "  of  great 
moment  to  communicate  to  your  Majesty ;  I  come  to 
tell  you  that  whenever  it  shall  please  God  to  take  you 
from  us,  I  will  be  to  your  son  what  I  have  been  to  you, 
and  will  acknowledge  him  as  King  of  England."  The 
English  exiles,  who  were  standing  round  the  couch, 
burst  into  tears.  As  soon  as  Louis  returned  to  his 
Court  he  repeated  the  announcement,  which  was  received 
with  acclamation.  James  died  on  i/th  September,  aged 
sixty-eight  years.  u  The  moment  after  he  had  breathed 


332  TRopal  f>ouse  of  Stuart 

his  last,"  says  the  Duke  of  Berwick,  "  we  all  went  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales  and  saluted  him  as  King."  He  was  at 
the  same  hour  proclaimed  at  St  Germains  by  the  title 
of  James  III.,  King  of  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and 
France.  The  Queen  came  to  do  homage  to  him, 
saying :  "  Sir,  I  acknowledge  you  for  my  King ;  but  I 
hope  that  you  will  not  forget  that  you  are  my 
son." 

According  to  one  account,  James's  body  remained 
unburied  for  a  century  after  Queen  Anne's  death. 
The  circumstances  formed  the  last  extraordinary 
incidents  in  the  history  of  the  Stuarts.  Lights  were  left 
burning  round  the  hearse  until  the  French  Revolution  ; 
the  Church  of  the  Benedictines  in  the  Faubourg  St. 
Jacques  was  then  desecrated,  but  when  the  Revolu- 
tionists opened  the  coffin  they  found  the  body  entire 
and  in  perfect  preservation ;  it  was  embalmed.  The 
municipal  authorities  took  possession  of  the  hearse  and 
body.  For  that  long  period  the  body  was  waiting 
interment  in  Westminster  Abbey  ;  it  was  in  a  wooden 
coffin  enclosed  in  a  leaden  one,  and  that  again  in  one 
covered  with  black  velvet.  When  the  allies  came  to 
Paris  in  1813  the  body  still  remained  above  ground. 
The  matter  was  brought  under  the  notice  of  George 
IV.,  who  ordered  the  remains  to  be  carried  in  funeral 
procession  from  Paris  to  St.  Germains ;  the  English  in 
Paris,  laying  aside  all  religious  differences,  attended  in 
deep  mourning  and  with  every  mark  of  respect.  A 
monument  of  white,  grey  and  black  marble  was  erected 
to  his  memory  in  the  church  of  St.  Germains,  bearing 
a  Latin  inscription.2  His  body  was  interred  in  the 
parish  church  of  St.  Germains,  his  heart  in  the 
English  College  at  St.  Omer,  and  his  head  in  the 
Scots  College,  Paris.  In  the  chapel  of  the  latter  is  a 
monument  of  black  and  white  marble  which  bears 
an  inscription. 

We  are  informed,  on  the  other  hand,3  that  James 
desired  in  his  will  that  he  should  be  interred  in  the 
1  Strickland.  2  Ibid.  3  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


of  James  VII.  333 

parish  church  ;  that  he  should  be  attended  to  the  grave 
with  only  such  ceremony  as  was  usual  at  the  interment 
of  a  country  gentleman,  and  that  a  plain  slab  should 
be  his  only  monument ;  the  words,  "  Here  lies  King 
James,"  he  requested,  might  be  his  only  epitaph.  These 
injunctions  the  French  King  took  upon  him  to  disobey. 
The  remains  were  embalmed  on  the  day  of  his  death, 
and  the  interment  was  conducted  with  regal  ceremony. 
His  body  was  interred  in  the  parish  church  of  St. 
Germains.  On  digging  the  foundation  of  the  new 
church  of  St.  Germains  the  remains  of  King  James, 
which  were  then  discovered,  were  on  the  9th  September, 
1824,  on  the  completion  of  the  edifice,  reinterred  under 
the  altar.  This  account,  it  will  be  noticed,  differs 
materially  from  the  Strickland  narrative. 

Numerous  and  heinous  as  were  the  offences  of  this 
wrong-headed  monarch,  it  must  at  least  be  admitted 
that  if  he  was  arbitrary,  it  was  from  principle ;  that 
if  he  was  unrelenting,  it  was  from  policy ;  and  that 
if  he  was  intolerant,  it  was  from  conviction.  If  he 
was  an  unforgiving  enemy,  he  was  also  a  staunch  friend. 
On  the  other  hand,  his  excessive  profligacy  in  regard 
to  women ;  the  misery  which  his  senile  infidelities 
occasioned  a  young,  beautiful  and  devoted  wife,  as 
well  as  the  important  fact  that  they  were  practiced 
at  the  very  time  when  he  was  displaying  the  most 
rampant  and  intemperate  zeal  in  the  cause  of  religion, 
certainly  constitute  very  offensive  features  in  his 
character.  As  regards  his  overweening  bigotry,  his 
flagrant  abuse  of  power,  and  the  gross  oppression  and 
intolerance  for  which  he  so  deservedly  forfeited  his 
crown,  little  can  be  brought  forward  in  his  defence. 
The  best  that  can  be  said  of  him  is  that  he  was  a 
conscientious  martyr  to  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
truth;  that  he  regarded  the  Protestant  faith  as  the 
source  of  all  sedition,  heresy  and  rebellion  ;  that  he 
traced  to  his  liberal  principles  the  death  of  his  father 
on  the  scaffold,  and  the  misfortunes  which  had  subse- 
quently befallen  his  race ;  and  that  consequently,  being 


334  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

himself  by  conviction  a  Catholic,  he  looked  upon  a 
crusade  against  Protestantism  not  only  as  the  last 
safeguard  for  his  temporal  interests,  but  as  pointing 
out  the  secret  path  to  heaven.1 

In  summing  up  the  reign  of  James,  we  cannot  but  con- 
clude that  it  is  one  of  the  most  unsatisfactory  on  record. 
He  and  his  brother  may  well  be  characterised  as  the 
weakest  of  the  Stuart  kings.  The  life  of  James  before 
his  accession,  and  after  his  abdication,  is  recorded  in  a 
very  fragmentary  form,  but  so  far,  it  represents  to  us  a 
man  of  a  different  complexion  from  James,  the  King. 
Before  his  accession,  if  we  except  his  intrigues  with 
women,  his  life  appears  to  have  been  uneventful  up  to 
the  time  when  he  became  practically  Regent,  three  years 
before  his  own  accession.  On  his  acquisition  of  power, 
he  evidently  lost  his  head.  Religious  feeling  at  that 
time,  and  for  long  after,  was  full  of  bitterness.  James, 
while  coercing  his  subjects  to  become  Catholics,  regarded 
his  own  religion  as  immaculate,  and  those  who  took  an 
opposite  view  were  in  his  estimation  nothing  but  heretics 
and  rebels  against  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  kingdom. 
Civil  and  religious  liberty,  liberty  of  conscience  in  any 
form,  was  unknown  during  his  reign ;  anyone  who 
questioned  his  authority  or  had  an  opinion  of  his  own 
was,  if  discovered,  punished  with  death.  James,  once 
in  power,  resolved  to  have  a  Privy  Council  composed 
of  men  of  his  own  persuasion.  In  that  he  had  no 
difficulty,  and  having  got  such  a  council,  the  first  thing 
it  did  was  to  exempt  him  from  taking  the  coronation 
oath  to  maintain  the  Protestant  religion.  To  what 
extent  the  people  were  incensed  against  this  proceeding 
is  not  clear,  but  we  are  informed  there  was  "  general 
dissatisfaction."  It  may  be  assumed  that  the  Protestants 
looked  on  his  conduct  with  abhorrence.  The  Earl  of 
Argyll,  who  was  a  Protestant,  was  not  afraid  to  speak 
his  mind,  and  he  refused  to  sign  the  test  with  this  clause 
excluded  ;  but  he  afterwards  signed  it  with  the  qualifi- 
cation, "  In  as  far  as  it  is  consistent  with  the  Protestant 
1  Jesse's  Memoirs. 


of  James  VII.  335 

religion."  This  was  before  James  ascended  the  throne, 
and  what  was  the  result  ?  The  unfortunate  Earl  was 
arrested,  tried  and  condemned  for  treason  ;  but  his 
sentence  of  death  was  postponed  ;  he  meanwhile  escaped 
from  prison,  but  was  afterwards  arrested  and  beheaded. 
This  was  one  of  the  first  acts  of  James,  following  on 
which  we  have  a  remarkable  statement  from  Burnet, 
that  James  at  this  period  issued  the  most  tyrannical 
proclamations  against  Presbyterians,  following  them  up 
with  barbarous  punishments  and  executions. 

When  James  ascended  the  throne,  he  evidently 
resolved  to  rule  as  a  dictator.  His  whole  policy 
indicated  that  intention,  while  the  outstanding  events  of 
his  reign  were  administered  in  defence  of  Parliamentary 
authority.  The  kingdom  had  just  come  through  twenty- 
five  years  of  the  misrule  of  Charles  II.,  and  probably 
Parliament  and  the  nation,  who  were  utterly  exhausted 
with  his  government,  were  prepared  to  be  indulgent  to 
him  till  he  had  had  a  fair  trial.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
James  stated  to  his  Parliament  that  as  King  his 
authority  was  absolute  ;  that  he  could  do  no  wrong ; 
that  Parliament  was  subject  to  him,  and  had  no  power 
to  limit  or  interfere  with  his  prerogative  any  more  than 
they  could  with  that  of  the  Deity.  We  are  not  informed 
what  impression  this  arrogant  speech  made  on  the 
Scottish  Parliament.  At  his  proclamation  he  was 
effusive  in  his  desire  to  maintain  the  national  religion, 
but  in  a  few  days  he  changed  his  mind,  and  gave  his 
whole  sympathy  to  the  Catholic  Church.  The  Scottish 
Parliament  of  28th  April,  1685,  was  evidently  dominated 
by  him,  for  it  ordained  penal  laws  against  the  Presby- 
terians which  enabled  him  to  go  on  with  his  wholesale 
prosecutions  against  them,  and  to  perpetrate  the 
massacres  which  followed.  His  duplicity  was  shown 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Scottish  Estates  the  following  year, 
when  he  agreed  to  dispense  with  penal  laws  as  against 
Catholics. 

The   Argyll    and    Monmouth    invasion,   which   took 
place  in  May,  1685,  left  a  serious  blemish  on  James's 


336  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

character ;  nor  is  there  anything  to  say  on  his  behalf 
for  the  wholesale  slaughters  in  connection  with  it  which 
took  place  by  his  orders.  His  ordering  and  carrying 
out  these,  which  involved  the  lives  of  thousands  of 
people,  no  words  can  adequately  condemn.  They 
brand  him  as  a  man  of  a  brutal  and  bloodthirsty 
nature.  It  was  in  connection  with  these  that  the 
Dunnottar  outrage  occurred,  when  167  persons  of  both 
sexes  were  made  to  walk  from  Edinburgh  to  Dunnottar, 
with  their  hands  tied  behind  their  backs,  and  were 
thrust  into  the  dungeon  or  black  hole  of  that  huge 
fortress,  huddled  together  without  light  or  ventilation, 
where,  in  addition  to  the  revolting  misery,  many  of 
the  poor  creatures  died,  being  literally  starved  to  death. 
It  was  an  outrage  surpassing  the  brutality  of  Cawnpore, 
fit  only  to  be  perpetrated  by  the  savages  of  Nigeria. 
The  culminating  event  in  his  reign  was  his  connection 
with  Jefferies,  whom,  to  his  disgrace,  he  appointed 
Lord  Chancellor,  as  a  reward  for  his  wholesale 
sentences  of  death.  In  English  history  there  is 
nothing  to  compare  with  the  brutality  of  Jefferies' 
actions  ;  or,  as  Lord  Chancellor  Campbell  puts  it,  it 
was  such  as  no  words  can  adequately  condemn ;  nor 
will  the  actual  number  of  his  executions  ever  be  known. 
That  James  was  the  instigator  and  Jefferies  the  tool  in 
the  perpetration  of  these  outrages,  there  is  too  much 
reason  to  believe.  Jefferies  said  so  on  his  deathbed 
in  the  Tower,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  period  all 
point  to  that  conclusion.  James's  place  is  evidently 
on  the  platform  of  Nero  and  Diocletian,  and  there  he 
is  in  congenial  company.  We  cannot  wonder  that  such 
a  tyrant  was  chased  from  the  throne,  and  that  he 
collapsed  never  to  rise  again.  The  troubles  of  his 
reign  were  of  his  own  making  :  had  he  allowed  his 
subjects  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion,  he  might 
have  administered  the  crown  till  his  death,  and  then 
placed  his  son  on  the  throne.  As  it  turned  out,  his 
life  after  his  abdication  and  after  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne  was  that  of  a  man  in  the  cloister,  paying  penance 


of  5ames  VII.  337 

for  his  misdeeds,  posing  before  the  world  as  a  recluse, 
albeit  a  pious  and  quasi-philanthropic  gentleman.1 

James,  by  his  first  wife,  Anne  Hyde,  daughter  of 
the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  had  ten  children,  viz. : 

Charles,  Duke  of  Cambridge,  born  22nd  October,  1660 ;  died 

5th  May,  1661. 

Mary,  afterwards  Queen  of  England,  born  1662  ;  died  1694. 
James,  Duke  of  Cambridge,  born  1663  ;  died  in  infancy. 
The  Dukes  of  Kendal  and  Cambridge,  twins,  born  1664 ;  died 

in  1667. 

Anne,  afterwards  Queen  of  England,  born  1665  ;  died  1714. 
A  son  born  1666  ;  died  young. 
Edgar,  Duke  of  Cambridge,  born  1667  ;  died  1671. 
Henrietta,  born  1669,  and  Catherine,  born  1671  ;  both  died 

in  infancy. 

By  Mary  of  Modena,  second  wife :  six  children,  viz. : 

Charles,  Duke  of  Cambridge,  born  1667  ;  died  same  year. 
Catherine  Laura,  born  1675,  and  Isabella,  born  1676  ;  both 

died  in  infancy. 

Charlotte  Maria,  born  1682  ;  died  same  year. 
James  Francis  Edward,  the  Pretender,  born  1688. 
Maria  Louisa  Theresa,  born  1692  ;  died  1712. 

His  natural  children  were — By  Catherine  Sedley : 

Catherine  Darnley,  married  the  third  Earl  of  Anglesea ;  and 
secondly,  John,  Duke  of  Buckingham. 

By  Arabella  Churchill,  sister  of  Marlborough  : 

James,  Duke  of  Berwick. 
Henry  Fitzjames,  the  Grand  Prior. 
Henrietta,  married  to  Sir  Henry  Waldegrave. 
A  daughter,  who  died  a  nun. 

1  The  day  before  his  death,  like  other  illustrious  sufferers,  he 
composed  his  own  epitaph,  in  which,  after  referring  to  his 
misfortunes,  he  expressed  the  hope  that  another  hand  than  his 
would  yet  accomplish  his  country's  deliverance. 


VOL.    II. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Early  life  and  marriage  of  William  and  Mary — Invitation  to 
William  to  accept  Crown — Declaration  by  William — Accep- 
tance of  invitation — Farewell  to  Holland — King  James  and 
the  Petitioners  —  Arrival  of  William  —  Official  Entry  and 
Reception  ;  Exeter — King  James,  Sancroft  and  the  Bishops — 
Princess  Anne  makes  her  escape — James,  the  Clergy  and 
the  Nobles  —  William  and  his  troops  at  Hungerford — 
Escape  of  James  —  Proceeds  to  Rochester  and  France — 
Throne  declared  vacant — Parliament  puts  William  and  Mary 
on  Throne — Scheme  of  Reforms — William  calls  meeting  of 
Estates — Arrival  of  the  Princess  Mary — Lords  and  Commons 
offer  the  Crown — William  and  Mary  proclaimed — Acquisition 
of  Kensington  Palace — Despatch,  William  to  Estates  of 
Scotland — Meeting  of  Estates  at  Edinburgh — Claverhouse 
and  Balcarres — The  Coronation  at  Westminster — Text  of 
the  Coronation  Oath — Proclamation  by  Scottish  Parliament 
and  William  and  Mary — William  and  Mary  proclaimed  at 
Edinburgh  —  Formation  of  Cameronion  Regiment  —  Letter, 
Claverhouse  to  Melfort. 

REIGN  OF  WILLIAM  AND  MARY. 

A.D.    1688 — 1/02. 

WE  now  arrive  at  a  great  landmark  in  the  history  of 
the  House  of  Stuart — that  golden  period  which  ushered 
in  the  dawn  of  civil  and  religious  liberty ;  broke  in 
pieces  the  tyrant's  rule ;  abolished  immorality  and 
vice,  which  had  long  disgraced  the  Court ;  substituted 
the  Protestant  for  the  Catholic  faith  as  the  national 
religion  ;  and  placed  on  the  throne  a  ruler  whose 
administrative  qualities  were  destined  to  have  an 
important  bearing  on  the  future  history  of  the 
kingdom.  The  two  previous  reigns  had  discredited 
the  governing  record  of  the  Stuarts.  Neither  before 
nor  since  have  we  had  such  an  exhibition  of  corrupt 

338 


WILLIAM    III. 
King  of  Scotland. 

Prince  of  Orange.     (William  and  Mary.) 
King  of  Scotland. 

(From  a  Portrait  in  the  Collection  of  the  Duke  of  Portland 
at  Welbeck  Abbey. 


of  William  anfc  flDarg  339 

rule.  When  the  two  brothers  laid  down  the  sceptre, 
the  kingdom  was  practically  reduced  to  the  last 
extremity ;  its  exchequer  empty ;  its  trade  and 
commerce  paralysed ;  its  gaols  full  of  innocent 
subjects  persecuted  for  their  religion ;  the  lieges 
executed  in  an  indiscriminate  and  illegal  manner, 
frequently  without  trial ;  and  the  realm  in  a  state 
of  complete  anarchy.  The  conduct  of  James  had 
been  for  some  time  matter  of  serious  consideration 
by  the  leading  statesmen  and  nobles  in  England  and 
Scotland,  and  it  was  resolved  that,  whatever  the 
consequences,  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  should  be 
called  over  to  occupy  the  throne. 

William,  born  in  1650,  was  the  only  child  of  William, 
second  Prince  of  Orange,  and  Mary,  daughter  of  Charles 
I.  His  father  and  mother  were  betrothed  when  they 
were  young,  his  mother  being  then  only  ten  years  old ; 
his  father  died  in  1650,  and  his  mother  in  1660.  His 
wife,  the  Princess  Mary,  daughter  of  James,  was  born 
in  1662 ;  William  and  Mary  were  therefore  cousins, 
and  both  were  grandchildren  of  Charles  I.  Mary  and 
Anne,  by  their  father's  command,  were  educated 
Protestants.  Nature  had  largely  endowed  William 
with  the  qualities  of  a  great  ruler,  and  education  had 
developed  those  qualities  in  a  high  degree.  He  found 
himself,  when  once  his  mind  began  to  open,  the  chief 
of  a  great  party  in  Holland  and  the  heir  to  vast 
possessions.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  a  member 
and  sat  amongst  the  fathers  of  the  Dutch  Common- 
wealth, taking  his  part  in  debate ;  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  adminis- 
tration as  Stadtholder  or  Governor  of  Holland,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-eight  he  became  known  throughout 
Europe  as  a  soldier  and  politician ;  his  tastes  unques- 
tionably indicated  a  military  life.  This,  then,  was  the 
man  who  was  invited  to  come  over  and  accept  the 
crown  of  England.  He  was  highly  fortunate  in  the 
selection  of  a  wife. 

His  marriage  with  the  Princess  Mary  took  place  on 


34°  TRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

4th  November,  O.S.,  1677.  There  were  collected  in 
the  Princess's  bedchamber  at  nine  o'clock  evening,  to 
witness  or  assist  at  the  ceremony : — King  Charles  II. 
and  his  Queen,  the  Duke  of  York  and  his  young 
Duchess,  Mary  of  Modena — these,  with  the  bride  and 
bridegroom,  and  Compton,  bishop  of  London,  who 
officiated,  were  all  the  great  personages  who  were 
present,  the  marriage  being  strictly  private.  The 
official  attendants  of  these  distinguished  persons  were 
admitted,  forming  altogether  a  group  sufficiently  large 
for  nuptials  in  a  bedchamber,  and  more  than  was  wished 
by  the  bride.  This  was  not  a  marriage  of  love,  but 
of  public  policy,  and  Mary  is  said  to  have  wept  for 
two  days  before  the  ceremony.  King  Charles  gave  her 
away.  In  answer  to  the  question :  "  Who  gives  this 
woman  ? "  "I  do,"  exclaimed  the  King.  When  the 
Prince  of  Orange  endowed  his  bride  with  all  his 
worldly  goods,  he  placed  a  handful  of  gold  and  silver 
coins  on  the  open  book.  The  King  said  to  his  niece  : 
"  Gather  it  up  and  put  it  all  in  your  pocket,  for  it  is  all 
clear  gain."  After  the  ceremony  was  concluded  the 
bride  and  the  Royal  family  received  the  congratulations 
of  the  Court,  and  of  the  foreign  ambassadors. 

The  Princess  Mary  was  in  person  a  real  Stuart — tall, 
slender  and  graceful,  with  a  clear  complexion,  almond- 
shaped  dark  eyes,  dark  hair  and  an  elegant  outline 
of  features.  The  Princess  Anne  resembled  the 
Hydes,  and  had  the  round  face  and  full  form  of  her 
mother  and  the  Chancellor  Clarendon,  her  hair  a  dark 
chestnut  brown,  her  complexion  ruddy,  her  face  round 
and  comely,  her  features  strong  and  regular.  She  had 
a  good  ear  for  music,  and  performed  well  on  the  guitar. 
She  never  willingly  opened  a  book,  but  was  early 
proficient  at  cards  and  gossiping.1 

On  23rd  November  the  Prince  and  Princess  crossed 

the   country   to   Canterbury,   and   when    they   arrived 

there  they  found  themselves  in  a  destitute  condition 

for   want   of  cash,   as   they   had    been    unkindly   and 

1  Strickland. 


of  William  ano  flDars  341 


secretly  hurried  out  of  London  by  King  Charles  and 
the  Duke  of  York  from  jealousy  lest  the  Lord  Mayor 
should  invite  them  to  a  banquet.  The  Prince  sent  his 
companion,  Bentinck,  to  the  Corporation  of  Canter- 
bury to  request  the  loan  of  money,  but  the  request 
was  refused.  The  Dean  of  Canterbury,  Dr.  Tillotson, 
hearing  of  this  gathered  together  all  the  plate  and 
ready  money  he  had,  and  bringing  them  to  the  inn 
where  the  Royal  couple  were,  presented  them  to 
Bentinck,  and  desiring  them  during  their  visit  at 
Canterbury  to  stay  at  the  Deanery.  The  Dean's  gift 
was  gratefully  accepted,  but  the  Prince  would  not  leave 
the  inn.  They  stayed  four  days  there,  and  received 
the  congratulations  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of 
Kent.  The  Princess  Mary  was  accompanied  by  Mary, 
Elizabeth  and  Anne  Villiers  :  Lady  Villiers,  the 
governess  of  the  Princess,  having  died  shortly  before 
of  smallpox.  In  due  course  the  Royal  party  arrived  in 
Holland.  On  the  I4th  December  the  Prince  and  Princess 
made  their  official  entry  into  The  Hague  surrounded 
with  every  magnificence,  and  twelve  companies  of 
burghers.  Having  passed  the  bridge  they  were  met 
by  four-and-twenty  virgins,  who  walked  two  and  two 
on  each  side  of  the  Royal  carriage,  singing  and  strew- 
ing green  herbs  all  the  way,  after  which  they  passed 
under  various  triumphal  arches.  In  the  evening  the 
Princess  Mary  was  welcomed  with  a  display  of  fireworks, 
in  which  were  represented  St.  George  on  horseback, 
fountains,  pyramids,  triumphal  chariots,  Jupiter  and 
Mars  descending  from  the  skies,  etc. 

The  Princess  parted  unexpectedly  from  her  husband  on 
ist  March,  1678.  He  had  been  hunting  all  the  morning, 
and  on  his  way  home  he  received  letters  that  occasioned 
his  sudden  departure  of  which  the  Princess  had  no 
intimation.  It  was  the  siege  of  Namur  that  caused  his 
departure.  She  accompanied  her  husband  as  far  as 
Rotterdam,  the  Prince  being  in  high  spirits  and  good 
humour.  The  Princess  chose  to  make  the  tour  of  her 
watery  dominions  by  way  of  the  canals  in  her  barge, 


342  iRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 


when  she  amused  herself  with  needlework,  or  playing  at 
cards  with  her  ladies,  as  they  sailed  over  the  lakes. 

His  early  married  life  is  said  not  to  have  been  very 
happy,  but  we  have  no  evidence  of  that  ;  and  it  is  further 
said  he  was  gradually  drawn  away  from  his  wife  by 
one  of  her  ladies,  Elizabeth  Villiers,  the  eldest  of  six 
daughters  of  Sir  Edward  and  Lady  Villiers.  This  lady, 
though  destitute  of  personal  attractions,  possessed 
considerable  mental  talents  which  attracted  his  notice. 
Her  influence  over  him,  says  Macaulay,  she  owed  to  her 
mental  powers,  which  qualified  her  to  guide  the  counsels 
of  statesmen.  To  the  end  of  her  life  politicians  sought 
her  advice. 

In  spite  of  his  precautions  the  Princess  Mary 
knew  of  this  intimacy,  but  no  imputation  ot 
immorality  is  recorded.  In  Swift's  Journal  to 
Stella  there  is  an  entry  that  William  settled  on  this 
lady  estates  in  Ireland  yielding  £26,000  per 
annum,  but  the  statement,  which  seems  improbable, 
requires  confirmation.  After  William's  death  the  lady 
married  Lord  George  Hamilton,  brother  of  the  Duke, 
and  he  became  Earl  of  Orkney.  The  Princess  Mary 
had  been  nine  years  married  before  she  discovered 
the  cause  of  William's  coldness  or  discontent.  An 
entente  cordiale  was  brought  about  by  the  mediation  of 
Burnet,  a  mutual  friend.  Mary  learned  for  the  first 
time  that  when  she  became  Queen,  William  would  not 
share  her  throne  ;  she  warmly  declared  to  Burnet  that 
there  was  no  proof  of  language,  submission  and  affection 
which  she  was  not  ready  to  give.  Burnet  informed  her 
that  the  remedy  was  in  her  own  hands;  she  might 
easily,  when  the  crown  devolved  on  her,  induce 
Parliament  not  only  to  give  the  regal  title  to  her 
husband,  but  even  to  transfer  to  him  by  a  legislative 
act  the  administration  of  the  Government  ;  "  but  your 
Royal  Highness  ought  to  consider  well  before  you 
announce  any  such  resolution,  because  once  announced 
it  cannot  be  retracted."  "  I  want  no  time  for  considera- 
tion," answered  Mary.  "  It  is  enough  that  I  have  an 


MARY. 

Queen  of  Scotland.     (William  and  Mary.) 

(From  a  Portrait  by  Van  der  Waart.) 
(By  permission  of  George  Bell  &  Sons.) 


IReion  of  William  ant>  /iDars  343 

opportunity  of  showing  my  regard  for  the  Prince  ;  tell 
him  what  I  say,  and  bring  him  to  me  that  he  may  hear 
it  from  my  own  lips."  The  interview  took  place  the 
following  day.  "  I  did  not  know  till  yesterday,"  said 
Mary,  "  that  there  was  such  a  difference  between  the 
laws  of  England  and  the  laws  of  God  ;  but  I  now 
promise  you  that  you  shall  always  bear  rule ;  and  in 
return  I  ask  only  this,  that  as  I  shall  observe  the 
precept  which  enjoins  wives  to  obey  their  husbands,  ye 
will  observe  that  which  enjoins  husbands  to  love  their 
wives."  This  speech  gained  the  heart  of  William  ; 
from  that  day  to  her  death  there  was  entire  confidence 
between  them. 

In  1686  William  became  head  of  a  league  formed 
among  Protestant  princes  of  Germany,  having  for  its 
object  to  curb  the  power  of  the  French  King,  Louis 
XIV.  This  treaty  was  signed  at  Augsburg  in  July 
of  that  year.  In  his  wars  with  France,  William  was 
frequently  defeated,  and  this  led  to  a  treaty  of  peace 
being  signed  at  Ryswick  on  loth  September,  1697. 

When  Parliament  and  the  nation  were  exhausted  in 
the  exercise  of  forbearance  at  the  tyrannical  rule  of 
James,  and  his  dethronement  had  forced  itself  upon 
them,  a  formal  invitation  to  the  Prince  of  Orange  was 
after  much  consultation  deliberately  and  judiciously 
prepared.  It  was  afterwards  transcribed  by  Henry 
Sidney,  who  became  Earl  of  Romney,  and  was  on  3Oth 
June,  1688,  sent  to  The  Hague. 

The  invitation  was  signed  in  cypher  by  Shrewsbury, 
Devonshire,  Danby,  Lumley,  Compton,  Russell,  and 
Sidney.  Admiral  Herbert  undertook  to  be  messenger. 
He  assumed  the  dress  of  a  common  sailor,  and  in  this 
disguise  reached  the  Dutch  Court  in  safety.  Some 
days  were  passed  with  William  in  deliberation.  From 
his  wife  he  had  no  opposition  to  the  acceptance  of  the 
invitation.  To  her  father  she  had  probably  never  been 
attached.  She  had  quitted  him  young.  Many  years 
had  elapsed  since  she  had  seen  him  ;  and  no  part  of 
his  conduct  to  her  since  her  marriage  had  indicated 


344  TRosal  ffoouse  of  Stuart 

tenderness  on  his  part,  or  had  been  calculated  to  call 
forth  tenderness  on  hers.  He  had  done  all  in  his  power 
to  disturb  her  domestic  happiness,  and  had  established 
a  system  of  spies  under  her  roof.  He  had  a  larger 
income  than  any  of  his  predecessors,  and  allowed  her 
sister  ;£  12,000  a  year.  She  had  ventured  to  intercede 
with  him  on  behalf  of  her  old  friend  and  preceptor, 
Henry  Compton,  bishop  of  London,  who  had  been 
suspended  from  office,  but  she  got  an  ungracious  refusal. 
From  the  day  on  which  it  had  become  clear  that  she 
and  her  husband  were  determined  not  to  be  parties  to 
the  subversion  of  the  Constitution,  James's  object  had 
been  to  injure  both.  To  a  very  small  circle  of  friends, 
on  whose  fidelity  he  could  depend,  William  was  a 
different  man  from  the  reserved  individual  whom  the 
multitude  supposed  to  be  destitute  of  common  feeling. 
He  was  kind,  even  convivial,  among  his  companions, 
would  sit  at  table  many  hours  and  take  his  full  share 
of  festive  conversation.  Highest  in  his  favour  stood 
William  Bentinck  (ancestor  of  the  Dukes  of  Portland). 
Bentinck  faithfully  attended  him  during  his  malignant 
attack  of  smallpox.  From  the  hands  of  Bentinck  alone 
would  he  take  food  or  medicine  during  that  memorable 
sixteen  days  illness.  By  Bentinck  alone  was  he  lifted 
from  his  bed  and  laid  down.  In  response  to  the  invita- 
tion to  administer  the  crown  of  England,  he  at  last 
issued  a  declaration.  It  announced  that  in  every  com- 
munity the  strict  observance  of  law  was  necessary  for 
the  happiness  of  the  nation  and  the  security  of  the 
Crown.  He  had  seen  with  deep  concern  that  the  funda- 
mental laws  of  a  kingdom,  with  which  he  was  by  blood 
and  marriage  closely  connected,  had  by  the  advice  of 
evil  counsellors  been  grossly  violated.  The  power  of 
dispensing  with  acts  of  Parliament  had  been  strained 
to  such  a  point  that  the  whole  legislative  authority  had 
been  transferred  to  the  Crown.  Decisions  at  variance 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Constitution  had  been  obtained 
from  the  tribunals  by  turning  out  judge  after  judge,  till 
the  bench  had  been  filled  with  men  ready  to  obey 


. 

- 


1Rei0n  of  TOUfam  ano  flDars  345 

implicitly  the  directions  of  the  Govenment  Notwith- 
standing James's  repeated  assurances  that  he  would 
maintain  the  established  religion,  persons  hostile  to  that 
religion  had  been  promoted  not  only  to  civil  offences, 
but  to  ecclesiastical  benefices. 

The  government  of  the  Church  had  in  defiance  of 
express  statutes  been  entrusted  to  a  new  court  of  high 
commission,  and  in  that  court  one  avowed  Catholic  had 
a  seat ;  good  subjects,  for  refusing  to  violate  their  duty 
and  their  oath,  had  been  ejected  from  their  property  in 
defiance  of  the  Great  Charter  of  the  liberties  of  England  ; 
lieutenants,  deputy-lieutenants,  justices  of  the  peace,  had 
been  dismissed  for  refusing  to  support  a  pernicious  and 
unconstitutional  policy;  the  courts  of  justice  were  in 
such  a  state  that  their  decisions,  even  in  civil  matters, 
had  ceased  to  inspire  confidence,  and  their  servility  in 
criminal  cases  had  brought  on  the  kingdom  the  stain 
of  innocent  blood.  All  these  abuses  were  defended 
by  the  Catholics.  The  most  arbitrary  princes  had 
never  accounted  it  an  offence  in  a  subject  modestly  and 
peaceably  to  represent  his  grievances  and  to  ask  for 
relief.  Supplication  was  now  treated  as  a  high  mis- 
demeanour in  England  ;  for  no  crime  but  that  of  offering 
to  the  sovereign  a  petition,  drawn  up  in  the  most 
respectful  terms,  the  fathers  of  the  Church  had  been 
imprisoned  and  prosecuted,  and  every  judge  who  had 
given  his  voice  in  their  favour  had  instantly  been  turned 
out  of  office.  A  free  Parliament  ought  to  be  an  effectual 
remedy  for  these  evils,  but  such  a  Parliament,  unless  the 
spirit  of  the  administration  were  changed,  the  nation 
could  not  hope  to  see.  It  was  evidently  the  intention 
of  the  Court  to  bring  together,  by  means  of  regulated 
corporations  and  of  Catholic  returning  officers,  a  body 
which  would  be  a  House  of  Commons  in  name  only. 
For  these  reasons  the  Prince,  mindful  of  his  near 
relation  to  the  Royal  House,  and  grateful  for  the 
affection  which  the  English  people  had  ever  shown  to 
his  wife  and  himself,  had  resolved,  in  compliance  with 
the  request  of  many  lords,  spiritual  and  temporal,  and 


346  IRo^al  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 


of  many  other  persons  of  all  ranks,  to  go  over  to 
England  at  the  head  of  a  force  sufficient  to  repel 
violence.  While  his  troops  remained  in  England  they 
should  be  kept  under  the  strictest  discipline,  and  as 
soon  as  the  nation  had  been  delivered  from  tyranny 
they  should  be  sent  back  ;  his  single  object  was  to  have 
a  free  and  legal  Parliament  assembled,  and  to  the 
decision  of  such  a  Parliament  he  solemnly  pledged 
himself  to  leave  all  questions,  both  public  and  private. 
This  courageous  response  to  the  invitation  gave  great 
satisfaction  to  all  except  the  Catholics. 

On  i6th  October,  1688,  the  States  of  Holland  met; 
the  Prince  came  to  bid  them  farewell.  He  thanked 
them  for  the  kindness  with  which  they  had  watched  over 
him  when  he  was  left  an  orphan  child,  for  the  confidence 
which  they  had  reposed  in  him  during  his  administra- 
tion, and  for  the  assistance  which  they  had  granted 
him  at  this  momentous  crisis.  He  entreated  them  to 
believe  that  he  had  always  met  and  endeavoured  to 
promote  the  interest  of  his  country  ;  he  was  now  quitting 
them,  perhaps  never  to  return  ;  if  he  should  fail  in 
defence  of  the  reformed  religion  he  commended  his 
beloved  wife  to  their  care.  In  all  that  grave  senate 
everyone  was  overcome.  The  iron  stoicism  of  William 
never  gave  way  ;  he  stood  among  his  friends  calm  and 
resolute,  as  if  he  had  been  about  to  leave  them  only  for 
a  short  time.1  The  same  evening  he  embarked  for 
England,  had  a  stormy  passage,  and  put  back  for  safety. 

His  declaration,  which  preceded  him,  created  profound 
sensation  ;  it  was  printed  and  circulated  over  London. 
James  was  much  troubled,  and  threw  into  the  fire  every 
copy  he  could  lay  his  hands  on  save  one.  The  paragraph 
which  disturbed  him  most  was  that  some  of  the  peers 
had  invited  William  to  come  over  to  England.  Lords 
Halifax,  Clarendon  and  Nottingham  were  summoned  to 
the  palace  and  catechised,  but  denied  all  knowledge  of 
it.  Henry  Compton,  bishop  of  London,  was  next  sum- 
moned ;  he  was  one  of  the  seven  bishops  who  signed  the 
1  Burnet,  vol.  i.,  p.  782,  Register  of  Proceedings,  States  of  Holland. 


TReign  ot  William  ant)  flDarg  347 

invitation,  and  when  questioned  by  the  King,  his  answer 
was :  "  Sir,  I  am  quite  confident  that  there  is  not  one  of 
my  brethren  who  is  not  as  guiltless  as  myself  in  this 
matter."  The  King  was  satisfied,  and  said :  "  I  fully 
acquit  you  all."  On  the  following  day  appeared  a 
proclamation  threatening  with  the  severest  punishment 
all  who  should  circulate,  or  even  dare  to  read,  William's 
manifesto. 

The  Prince,  on  ist  November,  set  sail  for  England  the 
second  time,  and  duly  arrived.  His  fleet  comprised  50 
men-of-war  and  300  smaller  vessels  following  in  his 
train.  It  was  commanded  by  Admiral  Herbert,  a 
distinguished  officer,  who  the  previous  year  was  deprived 
of  all  his  appointments  in  England  by  James,  because 
he  refused  to  vote  for  the  repeal  of  the  Test  Act.  The 
Prince's  troops  at  once  commenced  their  march  north- 
wards, and  on  8th  November  arrived  at  Exeter.  The 
Mayor  and  aldermen  had  ordered  the  gates  to  be  closed, 
but  yielded  on  the  first  summons.  There  was  great 
excitement  and  rejoicings  on  his  official  entry.  All  the 
neighbouring  towns  and  villages  sent  forth  their  inhabi- 
tants. The  houses  were  gaily  decorated,  and  thronged 
with  spectators.  First  rode  the  Earl  of  Macclesfield  at 
the  head  of  200  gentlemen  glittering  in  helmets  and 
cuirasses,  and  mounted  on  Flemish  war-horses,  each 
attended  by  a  negro  brought  from  the  sugar  plantations 
of  Guiana,  wearing  embroidered  turbans  and  white 
feathers  ;  then  with  drawn  swords  came  a  squadron  of 
Swedish  horsemen  in  black  armour  and  fur  cloaks. 
They  were  regarded  with  a  strange  interest,  for  it  was 
said  they  were  natives  of  a  land  where  the  ocean  was 
frozen,  and  where  the  night  lasted  throughout  half  the 
year,  and  that  they  had  themselves  slain  the  huge 
bears  whose  skins  they  wore.1  Next,  surrounded  by  a 
goodly  company,  was  borne  the  Prince's  banner,  on 
which  were  the  words  :  "  The  Protestant  religion  and 
the  liberties  of  England "  ;  then,  preceded  by  forty 
running  footmen,  the  Prince  himself  appeared,  armed  on 
1  Macaulay. 


348  iRopal  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 


back  and  breast,  wearing  a  white  plume,  and  mounted 
on  a  white  charger,  his  martial  air,  his  thoughtful  and 
commanding  expression,  his  falcon  eye  being  con- 
spicuous. Near  him  was  Count  Schomberg,  the  first 
soldier  in  Europe,  a  man  with  a  distinguished  reputation; 
then  came  a  company  of  Swiss  soldiers,  men  noted  in 
the  Continental  wars  for  valour  and  discipline.  After 
them  came  a  succession  of  bands  ;  nor  did  the  wonder 
of  the  people  diminish  when  the  artillery  arrived, 
twenty-one  huge  pieces  of  brass  cannon,  each  drawn 
by  sixteen  horses.  Much  curiosity  was  excited  by 
a  strange  structure  mounted  on  wheels  ;  it  was  a 
movable  smithy  furnished  with  all  tools  and  materials 
necessary  for  repairing  arms  and  carriages.  But  nothing 
raised  so  much  admiration  as  the  bridge  of  boats,  which 
was  speedily  laid  on  the  river  for  the  conveyance  of 
waggons  and  as  speedily  carried  away.  The  most  rigid 
discipline  was  maintained  among  the  troops,  and  in 
return  the  people  furnished  them  with  provisions  in 
abundance,  at  reasonable  prices.  Such  was  this  notable 
official  visit  to  Exeter.  William  repaired  in  military 
state  to  the  cathedral  of  Exeter,  and  mounted  the 
bishop's  seat,  a  stately  throne,  rich  with  the  carving  of 
the  fifteenth  century  ;  a  crowd  of  nobles  and  warriors 
appeared  on  the  right  and  left  hand,  while  the  choir 
sang  the  Te  Deum,  When  it  was  over,  Burnet,  a 
preacher  at  the  Rolls  Chapel,  but  who  went  over  to 
Holland  to  the  Court  of  William  and  Mary  and  returned 
to  England,  read  William's  declaration.  At  the  close 
he  exclaimed  :  "  God  save  the  Prince  of  Orange  !  "  and 
many  voices  responded  "Amen."  On  Sunday,  nth 
November,  Burnet  preached  before  William  in  the 
cathedral.  While  these  things  were  going  on  at  Exeter 
there  was  great  excitement  in  London  ;  William's 
declaration  was  in  everybody's  hands. 

William  established  his  Court  for  a  short  time  at 
Exeter  ;  more  than  sixty  men  of  rank  were  with  him, 
and  the  daily  display  of  red  liveries,  and  coaches  drawn 
by  six  horses,  made  the  quiet,  old-fashioned  town  of 


of  Militant  ant>  /iDars  349 

Exeter  as  gay  as  Whitehall.  In  addressing  the  nobility 
who  came  to  his  standard,  he  said  :  "  We  bid  you  and 
all  your  followers  heartily  welcome  to  our  Court  and 
camp."  He  left  Exeter  on  2ist  November,  and  went  to 
Axminster,  where  he  remained  some  days.  From  there 
he  went  to  Wincanton,  where  he  had  a  skirmish  with 
James's  troops.  From  Salisbury  James  proceeded  to 
Andover  attended  by  his  son-in-law,  Prince  George  of 
Denmark,  as  also  the  Duke  of  Ormond.  Here  these 
two  companions  deserted  him,  and  he  returned  to 
London.  The  Princess  Anne  notified  on  i8th  November 
to  William  that  she  approved  of  his  enterprise,  and  that 
she  would  remain  in  the  palace  or  take  refuge  in  the 
city  as  might  be  determined  by  her  friends.1 

There  was  great  consternation  at  Whitehall  when  it 
was  known  that  the  Princess  Anne  had  fled.  On  the 
following  day  James  convened  an  assembly  of  nine 
clerics  and  thirty  or  forty  nobles  in  order  to  get  their 
advice.  They  advised  him  to  grant  pardons,  and  do 
everything  to  conciliate  the  people  and  regain  their 
confidence.  James's  despotic  nature  never  forsook  him, 
and  he  refused  this  salutary  advice  and  adjourned  the 
meeting,  saying :  "  My  lords,  you  have  used  great 
freedom  ;  I  do  not  take  it  ill ;  I  shall  call  a  Parliament." 
No  Parliament,  however,  was  called  ;  meantime  William 
and  his  troops  arrived  at  Hungerford,  near  London. 
Here  a  skirmish  occurred  between  the  troops  of  both 
sides,  those  of  James  being  defeated.  James,  on  8th 
December,  sent  commissioners  to  Hungerford  to  propose 
that  the  matter  be  referred  to  Parliament.  Instead  of 
this  William  drafted  what  he  considered  reasonable 
terms,  and  a  meeting  took  place  at  Hungerford  Inn  to 
discuss  the  same,  presided  over  by  the  Earl  of  Oxford. 
James's  proposal  was  rejected.  Next  day,  Sunday,  his 
commissioners  dined  with  those  of  William  at  Littlecote 
Hall,  near  London,  and  a  large  company  were  invited 
to  meet  them.  Lord  Halifax,  in  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion, suggested  that  James  might  go  away,  to  which 
1  Dalrymple. 


350  iRosal  ibouse  of  Stuart 

Burnet  replied:  "  There's  nothing  so  much  to  be  desired." 
As  a  matter  of  fact  they  were  all  desirous  that  James 
should  make  his  escape.  Immediately  after  this  meeting 
the  Queen  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  were  sent  to  France 
for  safety. 

On  Monday,  I7th  December,  the  peers  who  were  at 
Windsor  were  summoned  by  William  to  a  consultation 
as  to  what  should  be  done  with  the  ex-King.  Their 
opinion  was  that  he  should  make  his  escape.  Next 
day  the  Royal  barge  was  early  at  Whitehall  stairs,  and 
round  it  eight  or  ten  boats  filled  with  Dutch  soldiers. 
Several  noblemen  attended  James  to  the  waterside, 
where  he  embarked  and  went  to  Rochester.  Same  day 
William  arrived  in  London,  and  great  multitudes 
assembled  to  welcome  him.  He  had  no  taste  for 
crowds,  and  it  is  recorded  he  took  the  road  through  the 
park.  In  a  short  time  all  the  rooms  and  staircases  in 
the  palace  were  crowded  with  spectators.  On  the 
following  day  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Corporation  went  in 
state  to  see  him,  the  Recorder  expressing  the  gratitude 
of  the  Corporation  for  their  deliverance.  Then  came 
the  bishops  and  clergy  (excepting  Sancroft)  after  them, 
nonconformists,  clergy  and  barristers.  Some  of 
William's  friends  advised  him  to  assume  the  crown  at 
once,  as  his  right  by  conquest,  but  he  declined  to  depart 
from  the  terms  of  his  declaration  ;  in  this  he  showed 
his  sound  judgment.  On  22nd  December  James  left 
Rochester  and  sailed  for  France,  where  he  arrived  in 
due  course,  and  joined  the  Queen  at  St.  Germains. 
This  was  an  immense  relief  to  the  Governments  of  both 
England  and  Scotland.  The  French  King  informed 
the  Royal  couple  that  so  long  as  they  stayed  in  France 
£45,000  per  annum  would  be  given  them  from  the 
Treasury. 

In  Scotland  the  people  were  up  in  arms,  the  arrival  of 
William  having  given  them  great  satisfaction.  There 
the  religious  question  was  as  usual  uppermost.  The 
Privy  Council,  by  one  proclamation,  ordained  all 
Catholics  to  be  disarmed,  and  by  another  Protestants  to 


of  William  an&  flfcarg  351 

muster  for  the  defence  of  pure  religion.  The  latter 
obeyed  the  summons.  In  London  the  Houses  of 
Parliament  had  various  debates  as  to  whether  they 
should  adopt  the  Primate's  proposal  and  appoint  a 
Regent,  or  whether  they  should  declare  the  throne 
vacant  and  appoint  William  and  Mary,  King  and  Queen. 
The  latter  proposal  was  adopted.  Burnet  intimated 
that  it  had  long  been  the  Princess  Mary's  full 
determination,  if  she  came  to  the  throne,  to  surrender 
her  power,  with  the  sanction  of  Parliament,  into  the 
hands  of  her  husband.  The  Earl  of  Danby,  afterwards 
Duke  of  Leeds,  received  a  letter  from  her  informing 
him  that  as  she  was  the  Prince's  wife  she  had  no  other 
wish  than  to  be  subject  to  him;  the  most  cruel  thing 
that  could  be  done  her  would  be  to  set  her  up  as  his 
competitor ;  and  she  never  could  regard  any  person 
who  took  such  a  course  as  her  true  friend.1  The  Prince 
sent  for  some  of  the  Lords  in  order  to  declare  to  them 
his  views  on  the  crisis  which  now  faced  them.  In  the 
matter  of  the  regency  it  was,  he  said,  for  the  Houses  to 
determine  whether  such  an  arrangement  would  be  for  the 
interest  of  the  nation.  He  thought  it  right  to  say  that  he 
would  not  be  Regent.  Another  party  was  for  placing  the 
Princess  on  the  throne  and  giving  him  during  her  life 
the  title  of  King  and  such  a  share  of  administration  as 
she  would  be  pleased  to  allow  him.  He  could  not 
stoop  to  such  a  post.  He  esteemed  the  Princess  as 
much  as  it  was  possible  for  man  to  esteem  woman  ;  but 
not  even  from  her  would  he  accept  a  subordinate  and  a 
precarious  place  in  the  Government.  He  was  so  made 
that  he  could  not  submit  to  be  tied  to  the  apron-strings 
even  of  the  best  of  wives  ;  he  did  not  desire  to  take  any 
part  in  English  affairs  ;  but  if  he  did,  there  was  one  part 
only  which  he  could  usefully  or  honourably  take.  If 
the  Estates  offered  him  the  crown  for  life,  he  would 
accept  it,  if  not,  he  should  without  repining  return  to 
his  native  country.  He  thought  it  reasonable  that  the 
Lady  Anne  and  her  posterity  should  be  preferred  in  the 
1  Burnet,  vol.  i.,  p.  819. 


35 2  TRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

succession  to  any  children  whom  he  might  have  by  any 
other  wife  than  the  Princess  Mary.  This  temperate 
speech  pleased  everyone.  It  was  therefore  proposed  and 
carried  in  Parliament  without  a  division  that  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Orange  should  be  declared  King  and 
Queen  of  England.  This  was  the  Parliament  of 
28th  January,  1689,  when  Somers,  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
carried  the  following  motion : — That  King  James  II., 
having  endeavoured  to  subvert  the  Constitution  by 
breaking  the  original  contract  between  King  and  people, 
and  by  the  advice  of  Jesuits  and  other  wicked  persons 
having  violated  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  realm,  and 
having  withdrawn  himself  out  of  the  kingdom,  has 
abdicated  the  Government,  and  the  throne  is  thereby 
become  vacant. 

Parliament  having  agreed  to  the  accession  of  William 
and  Mary,  drew  up  an  elaborate  scheme  of  reforms 
for  the  administration  of  the  kingdom,  so  as  to  prevent 
a  repetition  of  what  occurred  in  the  late  reign  ;  but  the 
House  of  Commons  resolved  to  postpone  these  till  the 
ancient  Constitution  of  the  kingdom  should  be  restored  : 
and  forthwith  proceeded  to  fill  the  throne  without 
imposing  on  the  sovereigns  any  other  obligation  than 
that  of  governing  according  to  the  existing  laws.  A 
Declaration  of  Right  was  then  drawn  up  by  a  committee 
under  Somers,  and  agreed  to.  It  was  the  basis  on 
which  the  crown  was  tendered  to,  and  accepted  by, 
William  and  Mary.  It  recapitulated  the  crimes  and 
errors  which  had  made  a  revolution  necessary.  James 
had  invaded  the  province  of  the  Legislature,  had  treated 
modest  petitioning  as  a  crime,  had  oppressed  the  Church 
by  means  of  an  illegal  tribunal,  had  without  the  consent 
of  Parliament  levied  taxes  and  maintained  a  standing 
army  in  the  time  of  peace,  had  violated  the  freedom  of 
election  and  perverted  the  course  of  justice.  Proceed- 
ings, which  could  be  lawfully  questioned  only  in 
Parliament,  had  been  made  the  subject  of  prosecution 
in  the  King's  Bench ;  partial  and  corrupt  juries  had 
been  returned,  excessive  bail  had  been  required  from 


TReion  of  THUUliam  ano  /IDars  353 

prisoners,  excessive  fines  had  been  imposed,  barbarous 
and  unusual  punishments  had  been  inflicted,  and  the 
estates  of  accused  persons  had  been  granted  away  before 
conviction.  He  by  whose  authority  these  things  had 
been  done  had  abdicated  the  crown.  The  Prince  of 
Orange,  whom  God  had  made  the  glorious  instrument 
of  delivering  the  nation  from  tyranny,  had  invited  the 
Estates  of  the  realm  to  meet  and  take  counsel  together 
for  the  securing  of  religion,  law  and  freedom.  The 
Lords  and  Commons  having  deliberated,  resolved  that 
they  would  first,  after  the  example  of  their  ancestors, 
assert  the  ancient  rights  and  liberties  of  England. 
Therefore  it  was  declared  that  the  dispensing  power 
lately  assumed  and  exercised  had  no  legal  existence, 
that  without  consent  of  Parliament  no  money  could  be 
exacted  by  the  sovereign  from  the  subject,  that  without 
consent  of  Parliament  no  standing  army  could  be  kept 
up  in  time  of  peace.  The  right  of  subjects  to  petition, 
the  right  of  the  electors  to  choose  representatives  freely, 
the  right  of  Parliaments  to  freedom  of  debate,  the  right 
of  the  nation  to  a  pure  administration  of  justice  according 
to  the  spirit  of  its  laws,  were  solemnly  affirmed.  These 
things  were  claimed  on  behalf  of  the  nation  as  the 
undoubted  inheritance  of  Englishmen.  Having  thus 
vindicated  the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  the  Lords 
and  Commons,  in  the  entire  confidence  that  the  deliverer 
would  hold  sacred  the  laws  and  liberties  which  he  had 
saved,  resolved  that  William  anc1  Mary  should  be 
declared  King  and  Queen  of  England  for  their  joint 
and  separate  lives,  and  that  the  administration  of  the 
Government  should  be  in  the  Prince  alone. 

The  Princess  Mary  arrived  at  Greenwich  from  The 
Hague  on  I2th  February,  1689.  She  was  received  with 
joy  and  affection,  and  entered  Whitehall  with  a  girlish 
delight  at  being  mistress  of  so  fine  a  house,  ran  about 
the  rooms,  and  examined  the  quilt  of  the  state  bed 
without  seeming  to  remember  by  whom  these  apart- 
ments had  been  last  occupied.  William  had  entreated 
her  to  make  her  appearance  with  an  air  of  cheerfulness. 

VOL.  n.  z 


354  IRogal  Douse  of  Stuart 


Her  heart,  she  said,  was  far  indeed  from  cheerful,  but 
she  had  done  her  best  —  nor  did  the  world  know  till  she 
was  beyond  the  reach  of  praise  and   censure  that  her 
conduct  was  really  a  signal  instance  of  that  disinterested- 
ness  and    self-devotion   of  which    man    seems    to    be 
incapable,  but  which  is  sometimes  found    in  woman.1 
On    the   morning   of  the    I3th  February  the  court  of 
Whitehall   and    neighbouring    streets  were   filled   with 
spectators.     The  walls  were  lined  with  the  yeomen  of 
the  guard  :  a  large  number  of  peers  and  members  of 
both    Houses    had    assembled.      The    southern    door 
opened,  and  William  and  Mary,  side  by  side,  entered 
and    took    their    place    under    the    canopy    of    State. 
Halifax,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Lords,  and  Powle, 
Speaker  of  the  Commons,  stood  forth.     Halifax  spoke, 
and   in   name  of  the  Estates  of  the  realm,  requested 
William    and    Mary  to    accept    the    crown.     William 
answered  that  the  crown  was,  in  their  estimation,  the 
more  valuable  because  it  was  presented  to  them  as  a 
token  of  the  confidence  of  the  nation.     He  assured  them 
that  the  laws  of  England,  which  he  had  once  already 
vindicated,  should  be  the  rule  of  his  conduct,  that  it 
should    be   his   study  to   promote   the  welfare   of  the 
kingdom,  and   that,  as  to  the  means  of  doing  so,  he 
should  take  the  advice  of  Parliament,  and   trust  their 
judgment    rather    than    his    own.      The     Lords     and 
Commons  then  walked  to  Whitehall,  where  the  heralds 
were  in  waiting.     The  trumpets  pealed,  and  the  Garter 
King-at-arms,  in  a  loud  voice,  proclaimed  William  and 
Mary  King  and  Queen  of  England,  and  besought  God, 
who  had  wrought  so  signal  a  deliverance  of  the  Church 
and  nation,  to  bless  them  with  a  long  and  happy  reign. 
Garter  King-at-arms,  after  making  proclamation,  rode 
along  the  Strand  to  Temple  Bar  ;  he  was  followed  by 
the  Speakers  of  both  Houses,  and  by  a  long  train  of 
coaches  filled  with  noblemen  and  gentlemen.     The  Lord 
Mayor  and  aldermen  of  the  city  joined  the  procession  ; 
four  regiments  of  militia  lined  the  way  up  Ludgate  Hill 
1  Duchess  of  Marlborough's  Vindication. 


1Rei0n  of  Milliam  anfc  fl&ars  355 

and  Cheapside ;  streets,  balconies  and  housetops  were 
filled  with  spectators.  The  proclamation  was  repeated 
at  the  Royal  Exchange.  In  the  evening  every  window 
from  Whitechapel  to  Piccadilly  was  lighted  up ;  the 
state  rooms  of  the  palace  thrown  open  and  filled  by 
courtiers  desirous  to  kiss  the  hands  of  the  King  and 
Queen.  The  example  of  London  was  followed  by  the 
provincial  towns. 

William  having  made  his  ministerial  appointments, 
and  the  oath  of  allegiance  having  been  taken,  the 
House  of  Commons  granted  ^600,000  for  the  purpose 
of  repaying  Holland  the  charges  of  the  expedition 
under  William  that  had  delivered  England.  It  has 
been  said  that  William  was  better  qualified  to  save  a 
nation  than  to  adorn  a  Court  Social  qualities  William 
did  not  cultivate.  When  he  appeared  in  the  public 
rooms  of  his  palace  he  stood  among  the  ladies  and 
courtiers,  stern  and  abstracted,  making  no  jest  and 
smiling  at  none.  His  cold  look,  his  silence,  his  dry 
and  precise  answers,  displeased  the  noblemen  and 
gentlemen,  while  the  ladies  missed  the  homage  due 
to  their  sex.  They  were  amused  and  shocked  to  see 
him  when  the  Princess  Anne  dined  with  him,  and  when 
the  first  green  peas  of  the  season  were  put  on  the  table, 
devour  the  whole  dish  without  offering  any  to  the 
Princess ;  and  they  declared  that  this  great  soldier  and 
politician  was  no  better  than  a  low  Dutch  bear.1  The 
Princess  Mary  did  her  best  to  supply  what  was  wanting, 
and  was  well  qualified  to  be  the  head  of  the  Court. 
Her  face  was  handsome,  her  temper  sweet  and  lovely, 
her  manners  affable  and  graceful,  her  understanding, 
though  imperfectly  cultivated,  was  quick.  There  was 
no  want  of  feminine  wit  and  shrewdness  in  her  con- 
versation. She  took  much  pleasure  in  the  lighter  class 
of  literature,  and  aided  materially  in  bringing  books  into 
fashion  among  ladies  of  quality.  The  stainless  purity 
of  her  life,  and  the  strict  attention  which  she  paid  to 
her  religious  duties,  put  a  stop  to  the  licentiousness  of 

1  Burnet,  vol.  ii.,  p.  2  ;  Duchess  of  Marlborough's  Vindication. 


356  IRosal  ibouse  of  Stuart 

the  Court,  and  restored  it  to  its  former  purity.  She 
was  free  from  censoriousness,  and  discouraged  it  as 
much  as  vice.  So  amiable  was  her  conduct  that  she 
was  always  spoken  of  with  esteem  and  tenderness,  even 
by  those  who  refused  to  acknowledge  her  as  Queen.1 
William  was  subject  to  attacks  of  asthma,  and  on  his 
account  the  Court  was  removed  from  Whitehall  to 
Hampton  Court.  After  some  time  it  was  found  that 
Hampton  Court  was  too  far  away,  and  Kensington 
Palace  was  chosen  as  the  seat  of  the  Court.  It 
belonged  to  the  Earl  of  Nottingham,  and  was  purchased 
for  18,000  guineas. 

The  English  Parliament  had  no  sooner  concluded  its 
sittings  than  William  called  a  meeting  of  the  Scottish 
Parliament  at  Edinburgh  on  I4th  March,  1689,  and 
sent  a  despatch  in  the  following  terms  to  the  Scottish 
burghs  to  send  commissioners  : — 

Whereas  the  Lords,  and  representatives  of  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  met  at  Whitehall  at  our  desire 
to  advise  what  is  to  be  done  for  securing  the  Pro- 
testant religion,  and  restoring  the  laws  and  liberties 
of  that  kingdom.  According  to  our  declaration  we 
have,  for  the  attaining  of  these  ends,  called  a 
meeting  of  the  Estates  to  be  held  at  Edinburgh  in 
March  next.  Being  desirous  to  do  everything  that 
may  tend  to  the  public  good  and  happiness  of  that 
kingdom,  we  have  fixed  the  meeting  for  I4th  March. 
We  do  therefore  require  you  to  make  intimation  of  the 
same  on  the  first  mercat  day  at  the  Cross  of  the  Royal 
burgh  of  Perth  in  the  usual  manner ;  and  to  appoint  a 
day  at  least  five  days  after  the  said  intimation  for  the 
whole  burgesses  to  meet  and  choose  their  commissioners 
for  this  meeting  of  the  Estates.  A  copy  of  this  letter, 
and  of  your  intimation  containing  date  of  election,  to 
be  affixed  on  the  Mercat  Cross. 

Given  at  St.  James,   5th  February,  1689, 

Sic  subscribitur,          WILLIAM  OF  ORANGE. 

i  Burnet. 


of  William  ano  flDar£  357 

Under  date,  7th  March,  William  addressed  the  Estates 
of  Scotland : — 

We  are  very  sensible  of  the  kindness  and  concern 
that  many  of  you  have  evinced  towards  us  and  our 
undertaking  for  the  preservation  of  religion  and  liberty 
which  were  in  such  imminent  danger ;  neither  can  we  in 
the  least  doubt  of  your  confidence  in  us,  after  having 
seen  how  far  so  many  of  your  nobility  have  owned 
our  declaration,  concurring  with  us  in  our  endeavours, 
and  desiring  that  we  should  take  upon  us  the  adminis- 
tration of  affairs,  civil  and  military ;  and  to  call  a 
meeting  of  the  Estates  for  securing  the  Protestant 
religion,  the  ancient  laws  and  liberties  of  the  kingdom, 
which  accordingly  we  have  done.  Now  it  lies  on  you 
to  enter  on  such  consultations  as  are  probable  to  settle 
you  on  a  sure  and  lasting  foundation  ;  which  we  hope 
you  will  set  about  with  all  convenient  speed  as  regards 
the  public  good  and  the  general  interest  and  inclinations 
of  the  people.  That  after  so  much  trouble  and  great 
suffering  they  may  live  happily  and  in  peace  ;  and  that 
you  may  lay  aside  all  animosities  and  factions  that  may 
impede  so  good  a  work.  We  were  glad  to  find  that  so 
many  of  the  nobility  when  in  London  were  so  much 
inclined  to  a  union  of  both  kingdoms,  and  that  they 
looked  on  it  as  one  of  the  best  means  of  procuring  the 
happiness  of  these  nations,  and  settling  a  lasting  peace 
among  them  advantageous  to  both.  They  living  in  the 
same  island,  having  the  same  language,  and  the  same 
common  interest  of  religion  and  liberty,  especially  at 
this  juncture  when  the  enemies  of  both  are  so  restless, 
endeavouring  to  make  and  increase  jealousies  and 
divisions,  which  they  will  be  ready  to  improve  to  their 
own  advantage  and  the  ruin  of  Britain.  We  being  of 
the  same  opinion  as  to  the  usefulness  of  this  union,  and 
having  nothing  so  much  before  us  as  the  glory  of  God, 
the  establishing  of  the  reformed  religion,  and  the  peace 
and  happiness  of  these  nations,  are  resolved  to  use  our 
utmost  endeavours  in  advancing  everything  which  may 


358  racial  Tbouse  of  Stuart 

conduce  to  effecting  the  same,  so  we  bid  you  heartily 
farewell. 

From  our  Court  at  Hampton,  7th  March,  1689. 

WILLIAM  R. 

William  was  bent  on  effecting  great  reforms  in  Church 
matters.  The  first  move  was  to  obtain  for  dissenters 
permission  to  celebrate  their  worship  in  freedom  and 
security ;  the  second  was  to  make  such  changes  in  the 
Anglican  ritual  and  polity  as  might  conciliate  the 
moderate  Nonconformists  ;  the  third  was  to  throw  open 
civil  offices  to  Protestants  without  distinction  of  sect. 
The  first  of  these  only  was  at  that  time  practicable. 
The  Toleration  Act  was  framed  and  passed  both 
Houses ;  it  was  long  considered  the  Great  Charter 
of  religious  liberty.  It  did  not  repeal  previous  statutes, 
but  merely  provided  that  they  should  not  extend  to 
any  person  who  should  take  the  oaths  of  allegiance, 
supremacy  and  Protestantism.  Parliament  resolved 
that  every  person  who  held  any  civil  or  military  office 
should  be  ejected  from  it,  unless  he  took  the  oath ;  no 
person  at  any  future  time  to  be  admitted  to  office 
without  doing  so.  If  the  clergy  in  their  public  minis- 
trations omitted  to  pray  for  William  and  Mary,  and  for 
the  Parliamant  assembled  under  them,  the  penal  clauses 
of  the  Act  of  Uniformity  to  be  put  in  force,  and  such 
persons  deprived  of  office.  In  the  midst  of  these  pro- 
ceedings, William  pointed  out  that  the  form  of  Church 
government  to  be  adopted  was  a  question  of  mere 
expediency.  This  statement  was  received  in  Scotland 
with  much  satisfaction. 

The  person  by  whose  advice  William  appears  to  have 
been  chiefly  guided  on  Scottish  politics,  was  Sir  James 
Dalrymple  of  Stair,  founder  of  that  eminent  family,  and 
president  of  the  Court  of  Session.1  Sir  James  estab- 

'  Stair's  wife  was  nicknamed  the  Witch  of  Endor.  It  was  said  she 
had  cast  spells  on  those  whom  she  disliked,  and  that  she  had  once 
been  seen  in  the  likeness  of  a  cat,  seated  on  the  cloth  of  State  by 
the  side  of  the  Lord  High  Commissioner.  This  is  a  pure  fable. 


of  William  ano  /IDarg  359 

lished  himself  in  London  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
advice  to  William  on  Scottish  questions.  When  James 
fled  from  Whitehall,  Claverhouse,  it  is  said,  wept  with 
grief  and  rage,  his  troops  being  left  without  pay  or 
provisions  in  England.1  Claverhouse  and  Balcarres 
were  treacherous  enough  to  be  among  the  crowd  to 
congratulate  William  on  his  arrival  at  Whitehall  ;  and 
Lady  Balcarres,  who  had  been  a  lady  of  the  House  of 
Orange,  had  worn  on  her  wedding  day  a  superb  pair  of 
emerald  earrings,  the  gift  of  her  cousin  the  Prince.2 
Balcarres  had  several  audiences  of  William,  professed 
deep  respect  for  him,  and  owned  that  James  had  com- 
mitted great  errors,  but  would  not  promise  to  concur  in 
a  vote  of  deposition.  William  at  parting  said  :  "  Take 
care,  my  lord,  that  you  keep  within  the  law,  for  if  you 
break  it,  you  must  be  left  to  it." 3  Claverhouse  was 
permitted  to  return  to  Scotland,  escorted  by  a  troop  of 
cavalry. 

On  1 4th  March  the  Estates  met  in  Edinburgh  in 
terms  of  William's  proclamation.  The  first  question 
that  arose  was  the  election  of  a  president,  and  the 
choice  lay  between  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  and  the 
Marquis  of  Atholl.  On  the  vote  being  taken,  Hamilton 
was  elected  by  a  majority  of  forty  ;  he  was  supported 
by  the  Whigs,  Atholl  by  the  Jacobites  or  Tories. 
Macaulay  makes  the  astounding  statement  that  the 
Scotsmen  of  that  generation  who  made  a  figure  in 
the  Parliament  House  were  "  the  most  dishonest  and 
unblushing  time-servers  that  the  world  has  ever  seen." 
He  might  have  included  King  James,  who  was  probably 
the  cause  of  it  all.  There  were  four  men  in  Scotland 
at  this  date  who  were  in  danger  of  being  assassinated 
by  the  Covenanters.  These  were  Graham  of  Claver- 
house, Lord  Balcarres,  Sir  George  Mackenzie  (the 
bloody  Mackenzie),  and  John  Murray,  first  Marquis  of 
Atholl.  These  four  men.  were  tools  of  James  in 
carrying  out  his  illegal  and  merciless  edicts.  They 
appealed  to  this  Convention  for  protection,  but  the 
1  Mackay's  Memoirs.  2  Memoirs  of  the  Lindsays.  3  Ibid. 


360  racial  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

request  was  refused.  Claverhouse  said  two  of  his 
enemies  were  watching  his  house  in  the  Canongate, 
and  had  been  heard  to  say  that  "  they  would  use  the 
dog  as  he  had  used  them."  James  had  sent  a  foolish 
letter  to  this  Convention  intimating  a  pardon  to  those 
traitors  who  should  return  to  their  allegiance  within  a 
fortnight.  Against  all  others  unsparing  vengeance 
was  denounced.1  On  I5th  March  Claverhouse,  with 
fifty  dragoons,  rode  off  to  Stirling.  This  was  a  direct 
act  of  treachery  and  rebellion,  as  at  the  Convention  he 
and  his  friends  agreed  not  to  quit  their  post,  but 
remain  with  the  Whigs.  The  Convention  resolved  that 
the  kingdom  must  be  put  in  a  state  of  defence,  and 
William  sent  a  squadron  of  war-vessels  to  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  containing  three  Scottish  regiments  which  had 
accompanied  him  from  Holland.  The  force  was  com- 
manded by  Hugh  Mackay,  a  distinguished  Highlander. 
The  two  great  champions  of  the  ex-King,  John 
Graham  of  Claverhouse  and  the  Earl  of  Perth,  were 
promptly  dealt  with  by  the  Scottish  Parliament. : — 

EDINBURGH,  y*th  March,  1689. 

Forasmuch  as  John,  Viscount  Dundee,  being  cited 
by  warrant  of  the  Estates  to  lay  down  his  arms  under 
pain  of  treason,  and  to  appear  before  them  to  answer 
for  his  corresponding  with  the  Duke  of  Gordon  after 
he  was  intercommuned :  and  the  herald  who  cited  him 
having  verified  the  execution  of  the  charge  ;  he  being 
thrice  called  in  the  House  and  not  appearing,  the 
Estates  declared  the  said  Viscount  Dundee  fugitive 
and  rebel,  and  ordain  heralds  with  sound  of  trumpet  to 
denounce  him  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of  Edinburgh,  and  at 
the  Mercat  Cross  of  the  head  burgh  of  the  shire  of  Forfar 
where  he  lives,  etc. 

The  Estates  ordain   the  Earl  of  Mar,  Governor  of 

Stirling   Castle,   to   keep   the    Earl   of    Perth   a   close 

prisoner  without  allowing  him  the  use  of  pen,  ink  and 

paper,  and  to  allow  him  only  one  servant,  who  is  to 

1  Acts  of  the  Scot  Par.  ;  Balcarres  Memoirs. 


of  William  ano  /Ifoars  361 

remain  a  prisoner  with  him  until  further  notice.  The 
Estates  considered  a  petition  by  Mary,  Countess  of 
Perth,  representing  that  the  Earl,  her  husband,  being 
now  committed  a  prisoner  in  Stirling  Castle,  she  is 
not  only  deprived  of  his  company,  but  even  the  small 
satisfaction  of  seeing  him  is  absolutely  denied  her, 
which  could  not  but  be  very  grievous  to  anyone 
under  her  present  circumstances.  The  Estates  hereby 
allow  the  said  Mary,  Countess  of  Perth,  once  in  the 
day,  to  see  her  husband  for  the  space  of  one  hour,  in 
presence  of  the  commanding  officer  of  Stirling  Castle. 
This  was  Lady  Mary  Gordon,  daughter  of  the  Marquis 
of  Huntly. 

On  nth  April,  1689,  the  ceremony  of  the  coronation 
took  place  at  Westminster.  Queen  Mary  was  girt  with  the 
sword  ;  lifted  up  into  the  throne,  and  presented  with 
the  Bible,  the  spurs  and  the  orb,  or  sphere.  The  King's 
crown  was  carried  by  Grafton,  the  Queen's  by  Somerset. 
The  Earl  of  Ormond,  Lord  High  Constable  for  the 
day,  rode  up  the  hall  on  the  right  hand  of  the  hereditary 
champion,  who  three  times  threw  his  glove  on  the  pave- 
ment, and  thrice  defied  to  mortal  combat  the  false  traitor 
who  should  gainsay  the  title  of  William  and  Mary. 
When  the  sword  was  offered  at  the  altar,  William  and 
Mary  carried  it  between  them.  He  was  a  diminutive 
man,  she  a  very  tall  woman ;  carrying  a  huge  sword 
between  them  seemed  very  absurd.  The  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  Sancroft,  being  a  Catholic  and  a 
Jacobite,  refused  to  crown  William  and  Mary,  and  it 
was  done  by  Compton,  bishop  of  London. 

It  is  said  the  number  of  peers  and  peeresses  at  the 
coronation  was  very  small,  this  arising  from  the  absence 
of  the  Jacobites.  They  were  conducted  four  abreast 
from  the  Court  of  Requests  down  the  great  stone  stair- 
case into  Westminster  Hall.  The  King  and  Queen 
followed,  taking  their  seats  on  the  throne.  On  the 
question  being  asked  whether  they  would  accept 
William  and  Mary,  they  answered  by  acclamation. 


362  IRosal  Douse  ot  Stuart 

The  King  and  Queen  then  kissed  the  Bible,  and  Dr. 
Burnet,  bishop  of  Salisbury,  preached  the  coronation 
sermon.  The  oath  was  then  administered,  after  which 
the  bishop  of  London  anointed  their  Majesties  and 
crowned  them.  The  coronation  banquet  took  place  in 
Westminster  Hall.  Next  day  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Commons  congratulated  the  King  and  Queen. 
The  King  replied  that  by  God's  assistance  they  both 
hoped  to  render  them  shortly  a  flourishing  people.  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  a  great  pearl  and  much  silver  plate 
were  stolen  at  the  ceremony,  and  were  never  traced. 
In  Scotland  there  was  no  coronation  ceremonial.  The 
Scottish  Regalia  was  at  the  time  in  Edinburgh  Castle, 
held  by  the  Duke  of  Gordon  for  King  James.  The 
Queen,  it  would  appear,  never  was  permitted  by  her 
husband  to  have  any  communication  with  Parliament 
except  by  means  of  deputations  carrying  addresses  to 
her,  which  she  usually  received  sitting  by  her  husband  at 
Whitehall.  The  Jacobites  were  out  of  sympathy  with  the 
coronation  proceedings,  and  complained  of  the  presence 
of  Dutch  soldiers  as  being  unseemly  on  such  an 
occasion.  Among  the  honours  bestowed,  the  Earl  of 
Danby  became  Marquis  of  Caermarthen  ;  Churchill,  Earl 
of  Marlborough ;  Mordaunt,  Earl  of  Monmouth ;  and 
William  Bentinck,  Earl  of  Portland.  Nottingham 
handed  to  the  Queen  a  letter  from  her  father,  in  which 
he  said  "  that  hitherto  he  had  made  all  fatherly  excuses 
for  what  had  been  done,  and  had  wholly  attributed  her 
part  in  the  revolution  to  obedience  to  her  husband,  but 
the  act  of  being  crowned  was  in  her  own  power ;  and  if 
she  were  crowned  while  he  and  the  Prince  of  Wales 
were  living,  the  curse  of  an  outraged  father  would  light 
upon  her,  as  well  as  of  that  God  who  had  commanded 
duty  to  parents."  After  this  remarkable  letter  William 
declared  "  that  he  had  done  nothing  but  by  her  advice 
and  with  her  approbation." ' 

On  nth  April  William  and  Mary  were  proclaimed 
King  and  Queen  of  Scotland  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of 
1  Nottingham  MSS.  in  Dalrymple's  Appendix. 


IRefon  of  Militant  anfc  flfcars  363 

Edinburgh.  The  Convention  went  forth  in  procession 
to  the  High  Street ;  several  great  nobles,  attended  by 
the  Lord  Provost  and  by  the  heralds,  ascended  the 
Octagon  Tower,  from  which  rose  the  city  cross  sur- 
mounted by  the  unicorn  of  Scotland.  The  Duke  of 
Hamilton  read  the  vote  of  the  Convention,  and  a  herald 
proclaimed  the  new  sovereigns  with  sound  of  trumpet- 
On  the  same  day  the  Estates  issued  an  order  that 
the  clergy  should,  on  pain  of  deprivation,  publish  from 
their  pulpits  the  proclamation  that  had  been  read, 
and  should  pray  for  William  and  Mary.  The  Lords 
of  the  Articles  drew  up  a  Claim  of  Right,  which  pur- 
ported to  be  declaratory  of  the  law  as  it  stood,  and  a 
list  of  grievances  which  could  only  be  remedied  by 
new  laws.  The  Convention  inserted  in  the  Claim  of 
Right  a  clause  declaring  that  Episcopacy  was  an 
insupportable  burden  to  the  kingdom,  was  distasteful 
to  the  people,  and  should  be  abolished. 

On  account  of  the  secret  negotiations  that  were 
going  on  between  James  and  his  supporters  in 
Scotland,  the  Scottish  Parliament,  in  the  interest  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  issued  the  following  proclamation  : — 

EDINBURGH,  \^th  April,  1689. 

The  Estates  of  Scotland,  having  proclaimed  William 
and  Mary  to  be  King  and  Queen  of  Scotland,  have 
thought  fit,  by  public  proclamation,  to  certify  to  the 
lieges  that  none  presume  to  own  or  acknowledge  the 
late  King  James  for  their  king,  nor  obey  any  com- 
mission or  orders  that  may  be  emitted  by  him ;  and 
that  none  presume,  upon  their  highest  peril,  by  word 
or  writing,  in  sermons  or  any  other  manner  of  way, 
to  impugn  or  disown  the  Royal  authority  of  William 
and  Mary ;  but  that  all  the  lieges  render  their  dutiful 
obedience  to  their  Majesties,  and  that  none  presume 
to  misconstrue  the  proceeding  of  the  Estates,  or 
create  jealousies  or  misapprehension  of  the  actings  of 
the  Government.  But  that  all  the  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  publicly  pray  for  William  and  Mary,  and  the 


364  TRogal  Ibouse  ot  Stuart 

Estates  require  the  ministers  of  Edinburgh,  under 
pain  of  being  deprived  of  their  benefices,  to  read  this 
intimation  from  their  pulpits  on  Sunday,  the  I4th 
inst,  at  the  end  of  the  forenoon  service;  and  all  the 
ministers  on  this  side  of  the  Tay  to  read  the  same 
on  Sunday  thereafter ;  those  benorth  the  Tay  on  the 
28th  inst.,  under  pain  aforesaid.  Ordains  this  pro- 
clamation to  be  published  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of 
Edinburgh  with  all  ordinary  solemnities,  that  none 
may  pretend  ignorance. 

WHITEHALL,  nth  May,  1689. 

The  ceremony  of  the  Inauguration  took  place  on 
the  nth  May,  when  by  commission  of  the  Estates  of 
Scotland  the  three  Scottish  commissioners — Argyll, 
Montgomerie  and  Dalrymple — accompanied  by  all 
Scotsmen  of  note  who  were  in  London,  proceeded 
to  the  banqueting  -  house  of  Whitehall.  William  and 
Mary  appeared  seated  under  a  canopy.  The  throne  was 
surrounded  by  English  nobles  and  statesmen.  The 
oath  was  administered  after  the  Scots  fashion  :  Argyll 
recited  the  words  slowly;  the  Royal  pair  holding  up 
their  hands,  repeated  after  him  till  they  came  to  the 
last  clause ;  it  provided  that  he  would  "  root  out  all 
heretics  and  enemies  of  the  true  worship  of  God." 
William  could  not  take  this  part  of  the  oath  without 
an  explanation,  saying:  "I  will  not  lay  myself  under 
any  obligation  to  be  a  persecutor."  One  of  the 
commissioners  said :  "  Neither  the  words  of  this  oath 
nor  the  laws  of  Scotland  lay  any  such  obligation  on 
your  Majesty,"  and  William  thereupon  took  the  oath, 
adding :  "  I  take  the  oath  in  that  sense  only,  and  I 
desire  you  all  to  witness  that  I  do  so."  The  following 
is  the  text  of  the  oath : — 

We  faithfully  promise  and  swear,  in  presence  of 
the  Eternal  God,  that  during  the  whole  course  of 
our  life  we  shall  serve  the  same  God  to  the 
uttermost  of  our  power,  according  as  He  hath  re- 
quired in  His  most  Holy  Word  ;  and  we  shall  maintain 


of  William  ant)  flDars  365 

the  true  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  preaching  of 
His  Holy  Word ;  and  shall  abolish  all  false  religions 
contrary  to  the  same ;  and  shall  rule  the  people 
committed  to  our  charge  according  to  the  will  and 
command  of  God,  and  according  to  the  laws  and 
Constitution  of  this  realm  not  repugnant  to  the  Word 
of  God  ;  and  shall  procure  to  the  utmost  of  our  power 
to  the  Kirk  of  God  and  the  whole  Christian  people  true 
and  perfect  peace  in  all  time  coming.  We  shall 
preserve  and  keep  inviolate  the  rights  and  rents  and 
all  just  privileges  of  the  Crown  ;  neither  shall  we 
transfer  or  alienate  the  same.  We  shall  forbid  and 
repress  in  all  estates  and  degrees  oppression  and  all 
kinds  of  wrong ;  and  we  shall  command  and  procure 
that  justice  and  equity  in  all  judgments  be  exercised 
without  exception.  And  we  shall  be  careful  to  root 
out  all  heretics  and  enemies  to  the  true  worship  of 
God  who  shall  be  convicted  of  the  foresaid  crimes 
out  of  our  lands  and  empire  of  Scotland.1 

WILLIAM  R. 

MARIE  R. 

There  is  recorded  a  curious  incident  between  the 
Scottish  Parliament,  Viscount  Dundee  and  David,  fifth 
Viscount  Stormont : — 

EDINBURGH,  \2th  May,  1689. 

A  letter  was  read  in  the  Estates  of  Parliament, 
written  by  the  Provost  of  Perth,  Robert  Smyth,  to  the 
Duke  of  Hamilton,  stating  that  Viscount  Dundee 
(Claverhouse),  had  come  from  Inverness,  via  Dunkeld, 
arriving  at  Perth  on  Saturday  morning  at  two  o'clock 
with  1 20  horse,  when  he  surprised  the  town  and  seized 
the  lairds  of  Blair  and  Pollock,  captain  and  lieutenant 
of  the  troops  ordered  to  be  levied  in  the  county  of  Perth, 
and  some  of  the  troops  and  country  gentlemen,  and 
that  he  had  got  forty  horses  from  them  ;  and  at  eleven 
o'clock  retired  from  the  town,  going  northwards  again. 

1  The  population  of  Edinburgh  at  this  period  is  reported  at 
60,000 ;  Glasgow,  30,000; 


366  1Ro£al  Tfoouse  of  Stuart 

EDINBURGH,  \%th  May,  1689. 

To  General  Mackay, — I  doubt  not  that  before  this 
time  you  have  received  the  committee's  letter,  giving 
notice  that  Lord  Dundee,  having  come  to  Perth,  seized 
the  lairds  of  Blair  and  Pollock,  whom  he  detains  as 
prisoners ;  he  having  thereafter  offered  to  attend 
Dundee,  the  committee  wrote  to  Sir  John  Lanier  to 
send  hither  Barclay's  dragoons,  and  Hastie's  and 
Leslie's  regiments  of  foot,  who  are  come  and  ordered 
to  march :  the  dragoons  to  quarter  at  Coupar-Angus, 
one  of  the  foot  regiments  at  Perth,  the  other  at  Forfar, 
to  attend  your  orders. 

EDINBURGH,  \-$th  May,  1689. 

A  missive  letter  from  Viscount  Stormont  to  the 
President  (Estates  of  Parliament),  was  read,  bearing 
that  Viscount  Dundee  had  forced  his  dinner 
from  him  at  his  house  of  Scone  on  Saturday 
last,  and  desiring  that  his  intercommuning  with 
him  being  voluntary  might  be  excused.  The 
President,  the  Earl  of  Ross,  replied  :  "  I  have  com- 
municated your  lordship's  letter  to  a  committee  of  the 
Estates,  who  are  not  satisfied  with  the  account  you  give 
therein  of  your  conversation  with  Dundee,  an  inter- 
communed  person.  They  therefore  require  you  with 
all  expedition  to  repair  to  Edinburgh,  that  you  may 
give  them  a  more  satisfactory  account  of  the  matter." 

This  request  being  disregarded,  was  followed  by 
another : — 

EDINBURGH,  22nd  May,  1689. 

The  committee  for  securing  peace  gave  orders  to  the 
messengers-at-arms  to  cite  Viscount  Stormont  and  Sir 
John  Moray  of  Drumcairn  to  appear  before  the  meeting 
of  Estates  within  forty-eight  hours  after  citation,  to 
answer  to  the  information  given  in  against  them  of 
corresponding  with  Viscount  Dundee. 

The  following  ordinances  were  issued  by  William  and 


1Rei0n  of  William  ano  /IDars  367 

Mary  for  the  better  administration  of  law  and  order  in 
Scotland  : — 

EDINBURGH,  yhjune,  1689. 

The  King  and  Queen,  with  consent  of  the  Estates  of 
the  kingdom  presently  assembled,  do  enact  and  declare 
that  the  Three  Estates  now  met,  consisting  of  the 
noblemen,  barons  and  burghs,  are  a  lawful  and  free 
Parliament,  and  are  hereby  declared  to  be  such,  not- 
withstanding the  want  of  new  writs  of  proclamation 
for  calling  the  same,  or  the  want  of  any  other  solemnity. 
And  all  acts  and  statutes  passed  thereon  shall  be 
received,  acknowledged  and  obeyed  as  acts  of  Parlia- 
ment and  laws  of  the  kingdom.  It  is  hereby  declared 
that  it  shall  be  high  treason  for  any  persons  to  disown, 
quarrel  or  impugn  the  .dignity  and  authority  of  this 
Parliament  on  any  pretence  whatever,  and  ordain  these 
presents  to  be  proclaimed  at  the  Mercat  Cross  of 
Edinburgh,  that  none  pretend  ignorance. 

EDINBURGH,  \ithjune,  1689. 

The  Estates  of  Parliament,  considering  that  the  King 
and  Queen  have  accepted  of  the  crown  of  this  realm, 
and  have  sworn  the  oath  appointed  by  law  to  be  taken 
by  all  Kings  and  Queens  of  Scotland  ;  the  Estates 
hereby  assert,  recognise  and  acknowledge  their 
Majesty's  Royal  power  and  authority  over  the  said 
kingdom,  and  their  undoubted  right  and  title  to  the 
imperial  crown.  Their  Majesties,  with  advice  of  the 
Estates,  hereby  declare  that  it  is  high  treason  for  any 
subject  by  writing,  speaking,  or  in  any  way  to  disown, 
quarrel  or  impugn  their  Royal  power  and  authority ; 
and  further  ordain  that  the  oath  of  allegiance  shall  be 
sworn  and  subscribed  by  all  members  and  clerks  of 
Parliament,  and  by  all  persons  in  public  trust,  civil  or 
military.  All  preceding  laws  imposing  any  other  oath 
of  allegiance  hereby  rescinded.1 

William,  in  addressing  the  Estates  of  Parliament  at 
1  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


3  68  IRosal  Tbouse  of  Stuart 

Edinburgh,  underdate  Hampton  Court,  4th  July,  1689, 
said : — 

We  have  seen  your  letter  of  25th  June,  with  a  draft 
of  an  act  referred  to.  We  have  of  new  instructed  our 
commissioners  to  increase  your  number  and  enlarge 
your  privileges  on  that  committee.  And  as  we  are 
firmly  resolved  to  redress  your  grievances,  we  shall 
propose  nothing  to  you  but  what  we  consider  to  be  for 
the  good  of  the  nation.  And  we  expect  you  will  show 
your  affection  to  us  by  your  ready  concurring  with 
what  our  commissioner  shall  propose.  We  have 
instructed  him  to  hasten  our  people's  satisfaction  in 
settling  the  Church  government  and  providing  restitution 
to  all  who  have  been  subjected  to  fines  or  forfeitures. 
We  shall  on  all  occasions  promote  what  shall  be 
requisite  to  secure  a  lasting  peace  to  the  kingdom. 

Hospitality  was  not  among  the  Royal  virtues  of  the 
throne.  When  the  King  dined  at  St.  James's  Palace,  it 
is  recorded  that  no  one  was  permitted  to  eat  with  him 
but  Schomberg  and  some  Dutch  officers.  Schomberg 
was  always  placed  at  the  King's  right  hand.  If  any 
English  noblemen  came  in,  according  to  their  natural 
custom,  during  the  Royal  dinner,  they  stood  behind  the 
King's  chair,  and  never  a  word  did  he  speak  to  them, 
nor  were  they  ever  invited  to  sit  down  to  eat,  a  courtesy 
common  in  such  cases. 

The  King  paid  frequent  visits  this  year  to  New- 
market, and  spent  whole  days  on  the  race-ground  or 
in  hunting ;  in  the  evenings  he  gambled.  Lambert 
informs  us  that  on  one  occasion  he  lost  4,000  guineas  at 
basset  at  one  sitting,  and  the  next  morning,  being  in  a 
state  of  exasperation,  he  gave  a  gentleman  a  stroke  with 
his  horsewhip  for  riding  before  him  on  the  race-course. 
It  is  recorded  of  Mary  that  all  she  did  was  natural  and 
unaffected,  her  conversation  natural  and  obliging ;  she 
gave  large  sums  to  the  poor,  and  when  a  mass  of 
people  of  quality  had  fled  from  Ireland,  they  drew  from 
her  great  marks  of  her  bounty  and  goodness. 


IReign  of  TKHilliam  ant>  /IDars  369 

William  and  Mary,  like  all  monarchs  whose  resources 
are  consumed  by  foreign  warfare,  were  poor  and  parsi- 
monious. Difficult  would  it  be  to  discover  any  dis- 
bursement to  a  literary  person.  The  Queen,  having  a 
mind  one  afternoon  to  be  entertained  with  music, 
sent  for  Henry  Purcell,  the  famous  composer ;  Mrs. 
Arabella  Hunt,  a  fine  vocalist,  and  others.  The  vocalists 
sang  several  melodies  by  Purcell,  while  the  composer 
accompanied  them  on  the  harpsichord.  Mary,  becoming 
weary  of  Purcell's  exalted  music,  inquired  if  Arabella 
Hunt  could  sing  "  Cauld  and  raw  the  wind  doth  blaw  "  ? 
The  lady  sang  it  to  her  lute.  Purcell  sat  in  silence, 
much  mortified  at  the  Queen's  taste.  Seeing  this  air 
pleased  her,  he  adapted  it  to  her  next  birthday  ode, 
sung  by  GostlingJ  The  Queen  had  been  accustomed 
to  hear  Gostling  in  her  early  days  when  he  used  to  join 
in  duets  with  her  uncle,  Charles  II.,  who  sung  tenor, 
and  her  father  accompanied  them  on  the  guitar.2 

The  Marquis  of  Atholl,  described  as  a  fickle  and 
pusillanimous  man,  who  had  been  a  supporter  of  James, 
and  again  a  supporter  of  William,  left  Scotland  and 
went  to  Bath  pretending  to  drink  the  waters ;  in  reality, 
because  James  was  now  playing  a  losing  game  with 
little  prospect  of  recovering  power.  Lord  John  Murray, 
eldest  son  of  Atholl,  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Hamilton,  and  declared  for  King  William; 
the  Marquis's  agent  declared  for  King  James,  and  the 
men  of  Atholl  did  not  know  whom  to  obey.  Blair 
Castle  was  occupied  by  Atholl's  agent  and  his  followers. 
Claverhouse,  after  his  flight  from  Edinburgh,  proceeded 
to  the  North.  An  emissary  of  James  crossed  from 
Ireland  with  letters  addressed  to  him  and  Balcarres, 
which  created  suspicion,  and  Hamilton  issued  orders 
for  both  to  be  apprehended.  Balcarres  was  caught  and 
put  in  the  Tolbooth,  but  Claverhouse  escaped.  He 
went  all  over  the  Highlands  so  as  to  get  some  of  the 
clans,  who  were  Jacobites,  to  assist  him  in  assuming  the 
defensive.  He  then  took  up  his  quarters  in  Lochaber, 
1  Hawkins'  History  of  Music.  2  Strickland. 

VOL.    II.  2  A 


37°  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

and  sent  to  James  to  Dublin  for  military  help.  The 
Covenanters  of  the  West  called  Claverhouse  a  servant 
of  the  devil ;  that  between  him  and  the  devil  there  was 
a  close  alliance  ;  that  Claverhouse  had  bound  himself 
to  do  the  work  of  Hell  on  earth,  and  Hell  was  permitted 
to  protect  him  till  his  measure  of  guilt  should  be  full. 

All  through  the  summer  of  1689  the  register  of  the 
Privy  Council  had  been  crammed  with  petitions  from 
imprisoned  persons  calling  for  some  relief  from  the 
miseries  they  were  enduring  in  the  Tolbooth  of  Edin- 
burgh, Stirling  and  Blackness  Castles,  and  other  places 
of  confinement  to  which  they  had  been  sent  generally 
without  a  cause.  In  Edinburgh  the  numbers  were  great 
of  men  of  the  highest  rank  being  sent  to  these  places. 
Balcarres  petitioned  on  3Oth  May  for  relief  from  the  Tol- 
booth on  the  plea  that  his  health  was  suffering,  being 
accustomed  to  outdoor  exercise.  The  Privy  Council 
allowed  him  out  on  parole.1 

At  this  crisis  the  famous  Cameronian,  or  26th 
Regiment,  was  formed  by  the  Earl  of  Angus,  a  nobleman 
who  fell  at  Steinkirk  in  1692.  Its  first  commander 
was  William  Clelland,  a  gallant  officer,  who  was  shot 
at  Dunkeld  shortly  after  Killiecrankie.  During  the 
troubles  of  1689  Edinburgh  Castle,  which  had  held 
out  for  some  months,  surrendered  to  William.  Two 
acts  of  the  Scottish  Parliament,  one  turning  the 
Convention  into  a  Parliament,  the  other  recognising 
William  and  Mary  as  King  and  Queen,  were  passed 
and  touched  with  the  sceptre,  and  then  the  complica- 
tions with  factions  began.2 

William  was  greatly  interested  in  having  a  good 
postal  service,  and  on  24th  July  the  General  Postmaster- 
ship  for  Scotland  was  let  by  public  vote  to  John  Blair, 
chemist,  Edinburgh,  he  undertaking  to  carry  on  the 
entire  business  at  various  rates  of  postage  for  letters, 
and  to  pay  the  Crown  £255  sterling  per  annum  for 
seven  years ;  the  postage  rates  were  2s.,  33.  and  43.  per 
letter,  Scots  money,  according  to  mileage. 

1  Chambers's  Domestic  Annals.     2  Acts  of  the  Scot.  Par. 


of  William  ant)  /l&at£  371 

Claverhouse  was  not  a  man  who  indulged  much  in 
letter-writing,  but  one  of  the  few  letters  written  by 
him,  addressed  to  the  Earl  of  Melfort,  throws  great 
light  on  the  situation  :  — 


MOY,  LOCHABER,  2jth  June,  1689. 

You  know  what  the  Church  of  England  is  in  England, 
and  both  there  and  here  they  generally  say  that  the 
King  is  not  disposed  to  push  matters  of  religion  or 
force  people  to  do  things  against  their  conscience  ;  but 
that  you,  to  gain  favour  with  those  of  that  religion,  had 
prevailed  with  him  contrary  to  his  inclination  to  do 
what  he  did,  which  has  given  his  enemies  occasion  to 
destroy  him  and  his  monarchy.  ...  I  am  obliged  to 
tell  you  that  if  the  people  take  umbrage  as  to  their 
religion,  it  will  be,  notwithstanding  foreign  aid,  a  long 
war.  But  I  think  you  may  come  over  ;  and  when  you 
have  seen  the  state  of  affairs  you  may  consider  what 
may  be  best  for  you  to  do.  You  desire  me  to 
recommend  a  proper  man  to  be  a  secretary  ;  you  know 
it  is  hard  to  do.  I  would,  were  I  you,  advise  the  King 
to  employ  one  to  be  turned  out  when  things  altered. 
...  I  thought  if  I  could  gain  time  and  keep  up  the 
appearance  of  a  party  without  loss,  it  was  my  best  plan 
till  we  get  assistance.  I  have  told  the  King  I  had 
neither  commission,  money  nor  ammunition.  My 
brother-in-law  and  my  wife  found  ways  to  get  credit;  for 
myself,  nobody  durst  pay  to  a  traitor.  I  was  surprised 
when  I  saw  Mr.  Drummond,  the  advocate,  in  Highland 
costume  come  up  to  Lochaber  to  me  and  reported 
that  the  Queen  had  sent  £2,000  sterling  to  London  to  be 
paid  to  me  for  the  King's  service,  and  that  two  more  were 
coming.  I  did  not  think  the  Queen  knew  anything 
about  our  affairs.  When  the  money  comes  I  shall 
keep  count  of  it  and  employ  it  right.  But  I  am  afraid 
it  will  be  hard  to  bring  it  from  Edinburgh.  When  we 
came  first  out  I  had  but  fifty  pounds  of  powder,  more  I 
could  not  get  ;  all  the  great  towns  and  seaports  were  in 
rebellion,  and  had  seized  the  powder,  and  would  sell 


372  tRosal  Douse  ot  Stuart 

none.  But  I  had  an  advantage,  the  Highlanders  will 
not  fire  above  once,  and  then  they  take  to  the  broad- 
sword. I  wonder  above  all  things  that  in  three 
months  I  never  heard  from  you,  seeing  by  Mr.  Hay  I 
had  so  earnestly  recommended  it  to  you,  and  told  him 
of  this  way  by  Inverlochy  as  sure  if  you  would  not  have 
sent  expresses,  we  thought  you  would  at  least  have 
hastened  the  despatch  of  those  we  sent.  .  .  .  There  has 
been  two  English  men-of-war  and  the  Glasgow  frigates 
among  the  islands  till  of  late.  For  the  rest  of  the 
letters,  I  undertook  to  get  them  delivered.  Most  of  the 
persons  to  whom  they  were  directed  are  either  put  under 
bond,  or  in  prison,  or  gone  out  of  the  kingdom.  The 
advocate,  a  very  honest  man,  is  gone  to  England,  firm 
beyond  belief,  and  Atholl  is  gone  too,  who  did  not 
know  what  to  do.  Earl  Home  is  taken  prisoner  to 
Edinburgh,  but  will  be  let  out  on  bail.  Lord  Breadalbane 
keeps  close  in  a  strong  house  he  has,  and  pretends  the 
gout ;  Errol,  Aberdeen  and  Lauderdale  stay  at  home  ; 
the  Earl  Marischal  is  in  Edinburgh,  but  does  not  meddle; 
the  bishops,  I  know  not  where  they  are  ;  they  are  now 
the  Kirk  invisible.  I  will  be  forced  to  open  the  letter, 
and  send  copies  attested,  to  them,  and  keep  the  original 
till  I  can  find  the  Primate.  The  poor  ministers  are 
sorely  oppressed  ;  they  generally  stand  right.  Queens- 
berry  was  present  at  the  Cross  when  their  new  mock 
King  was  proclaimed  ;  and  I  have  voted  for  him  though 
not  for  the  throne  vacant.  Tarbet  is  a  great  villain ; 
besides  what  he  has  done  at  Edinburgh,  he  has 
endeavoured  to  seduce  Lochiel  by  offers  of  money. 
He  is  now  gone  up  to  secure  his  faction,  which  is 
melting.  .  .  .  Douglas  is  now  a  great  knave  as  well  as 
beast,  so  also  is  Glencairn,  Morton  and  Eglinton ;  and 
even  Cassillis  is  gone  astray,  misled  by  Gibby  (Gilbert 
Burnet).  Panmure  keeps  right  and  at  home,  as  also 
does  Strathmore,  Southesk  and  Kinnaird  ;  old  Airlie 
is  at  Edinburgh  under  caution,  so  is  Balcarres  and 
Dunmore;  Stormont  is  declared  fugitive  for  not 
appearing.  All  these  will  break  out  and  many  more 


ot  William  anfc  /l&ars  373 


when  the  King  lands  ;  most  of  the  gentry  on  this  side 
of  the  Forth  and  many  on  the  other  side  will  do  so  to. 
.  .  .  Lord  Dunfermline  stays  constantly  with  me,  and 
so  does  Lords  Dunkeld,  Pitcur,  and  many  other  gentle- 
men, who  really  deserve  well,  for  they  suffer  great 
hardships.  When  the  troops  land  there  must  be  blank 
commissions  sent  for  horse  and  foot  for  them  and  others 
who  will  join.  There  must  be  a  commission  of  justiciary 
to  judge  all  but  landed  men,  for  there  will  be  examples 
made  of  some  who  cannot  be  judged  by  a  council  of 
war.  They  take  our  people  and  hang  them  up  by  their 
new  sheriffs,  when  they  find  them  struggling.  ...  I 
would  have  a  good  party  sent  over  to  Inverlochy,  5,000 
or  6,000  as  you  have  conveniency  of  beasts,  and  as 
many  horse  as  conveniently  can.  About  600  or  800 
would  do  well,  but  rather  more,  for  had  I  had  horse  for 
all  that  yet  appeared  I  would  not  have  feared  them. 
Inverlochy  is  a  safe  landing,  far  from  the  enemy,  and 
one  may  choose  from  there  to  go  to  Moray  by  Inverness, 
Angus  by  Atholl,  or  Perth  by  Glencoe.  The  passage  is 
long  by  sea  and  inconvenient  ;  so  soon  as  the  boats 
return  let  them  ferry  over  as  many  more  foot  as  they 
think  fit  to  the  point  of  Kintyre,  which  will  be  soon 
done,  and  then  the  King  has  all  the  boats  for  his  own 
landing.  ...  I  am  just  now  informed  that  Mackay  has 
gone  from  Inverness  by  Moray  towards  Edinburgh.  I 
know  not  what  troops  he  has  taken  with  him,  but  it  is 
thought  he  will  take  the  horse  and  dragoons,  and  most  of 
the  standing  forces.  ...  I  had  almost  forgot  to  tell  you 
that  P.  O.  (Prince  of  Orange)  has  written  to  his  Scotch 
Council  telling  them  he  will  not  have  his  troops  any 
more  harassed  following  me  through  the  hills,  but 
orders  them  to  draw  to  the  west,  where  he  says  a  great 
army  is  to  land  ;  and  at  the  same  time  gives  them 
accounts  that  eight  sail  of  men-of-war  are  coming  from 
Brest  with  15,000  men  on  board.  He  knows  not 
whether  they  are  meant  for  England  or  Ireland.  I  beg 
you  will  send  an  express  before,  whatever  you  do,  that 
I  may  know  how  to  take  my  measures,  and  if  the 


374  TRogal  UDouse  of  Stuart 

express  that  comes  knows  nothing,  I  am  sure  it  shall 
not  be  disclosed  by  me.  I  have  told  Hay  nothing  of 
this  proposal  ;  if  there  come  any  party  this  way  I  beg 
you  to  send  on  ammunition,  and  3,000  or  4,000  arms  of 
different  sorts,  some  horse  and  some  foot.  I  have  just 
now  received  confirmation  of  Mackenzie  going  south, 
and  that  he  takes  with  him  all  the  horse  and  dragoons 
and  all  the  standing  foot,  by  which  I  conclude  they 
are  preparing  against  the  landing  in  the  west. — I  am 
etc.,  DUNDEE. 


CHAPTER  XI 

Battle  of  Killiecrankie — Speech  of  Claverhouse  to  his  troops — 
Fall  of  Claverhouse — His  dying  letter  to  James — Despatch 
of  Highland  Chiefs  to  Mackay — Battle  of  Dunkeld — Queen 
Mary  sends  Earl  of  Ross  to  prison — Meeting  of  Parliament 
at  Westminster — King  James  in  Ireland — Battle  of  Beachy 
Head  —  Meeting  of  Scottish  Parliament  —  William  opens 
Parliament  at  Westminster — His  Reception  at  The  Hague — 
Whitehall  Palace  burned — The  Queen,  Lady  Marlborough 
and  Anne — Meeting  of  General  Assembly,  1692— The  Glen- 
coe  Massacre — Dalrymple,  High  Commissioner  —  James's 
characteristic  Declaration — Battle  of  La  Hogue — Battle  of 
Steinkirk  —  James  at  St.  'Germains  —  Formation  of  Whig 
Ministry. 

REIGN  OF  WILLIAM  AND  MARY. 

A.D.    1688 — 1702. 

THE  Jacobites  and  Covenanters  were  gradually  pre- 
paring for  a  trial  of  strength,  but  to  the  former  the 
deposition  of  the  late  King  was  an  overwhelming  blow. 
General  Mackay,  acting  for  William  and  Mary, 
learning  that  Claverhouse  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
Highlands  and  was  endeavouring  to  form  a  coalition 
of  the  clans  against  the  Government,  resolved  to 
march  northward,  with  the  view  of  crushing  the 
insurrection.  For  several  weeks  Mackay  marched  and 
countermarched  among  the  mountains,  following  the 
tracks  of  his  adversary  and  occasionally  skirmishing 
with  him,  but  was  ultimately  compelled  to  retreat, 
Claverhouse  having  collected  an  overwhelming  force, 
turned  upon  the  pursuer,  and  had  nearly  succeeded 
in  crushing  him  before  he  was  aware  of  the  danger. 
Mackay  proceeded  to  Inverness,  his  troops  numbering 
only  600.  He  then  pushed  on  to  Aberdeenshire,  where 

375 


376  TCosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

he  was  joined  by  two  regiments  of  dragoons,  and 
immediately  after  appointed  one-half  of  his  troops  to 
garrison  Inverness,  and  with  the  other  he  advanced  to 
Edinburgh.  Thereafter  he  directed  his  troops  to 
assemble  in  Perthshire,  and  these  amounted  now  to 
over  3,000. '  Claverhouse,  supported  by  Lochiel,  also 
mustered  his  forces,  numbering  2,500.  On  27th  July 
he  arrived  at  Blair,  where  he  learned  that  Mackay 
was  in  the  ravine  or  Pass  of  Killiecrankie.  Here  it 
was  determined  by  Claverhouse  and  Lochiel  to  have 
the  engagment.  Claverhouse  formed  his  men  by  clans 
at  Lochiel's  request  and  into  unequal  battalions.  In 
the  centre  was  Lochiel,  Glengarry  and  Clanranald, 
each  heading  a  battalion ;  on  the  right  the  Macleans  ; 
on  the  left  the  Macdonalds,  commanded  by  Sir  Donald 
Macdonald,  Sir  George  Berkeley  and  Sir  Alexander 
Maclean ;  and  there  was  the  Irish  contingent  under 
General  Connon.  The  armies  faced  each  other,  after 
they  were  formed,  for  more  than  two  hours.  Mackay 
formed  his  troops  into  a  long  line  three  men  deep ; 
Lord  Leven's  regiment  was  on  the  right ;  the  Scots 
Fusiliers  with  Balfour  on  the  left ;  in  the  centre,  in 
the  rear,  two  troops  of  horses.  Claverhouse  then 
addressed  his  troops:  —  "Gentlemen,  you  are  come 
hither  this  day  to  fight,  and  that  in  the  best  of  causes  ; 
for  it  is  the  battle  of  your  King,  your  religion  and 
your  country,  against  the  foulest  usurpation  and 
rebellion ;  and  having  therefore  so  good  a  cause  in 
your  hands,  I  doubt  not  but  that  it  will  inspire  you 
with  an  equal  courage  to  maintain  it.  For  there  is 
no  sympathy  between  loyalty  and  treason,  nor  should 
there  be  any  between  the  valour  of  good  subjects  and 
traitors.  Remember  that  to-day  begins  the  fate  of 
your  King,  your  religion  and  your  country;  behave 
yourselves,  therefore,  like  true  Scotsmen,  and  let  us 
by  this  action  redeem  the  credit  of  this  nation  that 
is  laid  low  by  the  treacheries  and  cowardice  of  some 
of  our  countrymen,  in  which  I  ask  nothing  of  you 
1  Mackay's  Memoirs. 


'     • 

:     •. 


of  Militant  ano  flDars  377 


that  you  shall  not  see  me  do  before  you  ;  and  if  any 
of  us  shall  fall  on  this  occasion,  we  shall  have  the 
honour  of  dying  at  our  duty  and  as  becomes  true 
men  of  valour  and  conscience  ;  and  such  of  us  as 
shall  live  and  win  the  battle  shall  have  the  reward 
of  a  gracious  King  and  the  praise  of  all  good  men. 
In  God's  name,  then,  let  us  go  forward,  and  let  this 
be  your  word,  'King  James  and  the  Catholic  Church 
of  Scotland,  which  God  long  preserve.'  " 

At  seven  p.m.  Claverhouse  gave  the  order  for  battle  5 
the  whole  line  advanced  firmly.  The  enemy  returned 
the  fire  and  did  much  execution.  When  only  a  small 
space  was  left  between  the  armies,  the  Highlanders 
flung  away  their  firelocks,  stripped  themselves  to  the 
shirt  and  doublet,  drew  their  swords,  and  rushed 
furiously  forward  and  broke  the  ranks  of  Balfour's 
regiment  ;  he  was  struck  down.  Ramsay's  men  turned 
their  backs  and  dropped  their  arms.  Mackay's  own 
infantry  were  almost  annihilated  by  the  furious  onset 
of  the  Highlanders  ;  Belhaven's  horse,  appalled  by  the 
rout  of  the  infantry,  fled  in  disorder,  and  Annandale's 
followed.  Mackay,  Balfour  and  Ramsay  commanded 
the  three  Scotch  regiments  which  served  in  Holland 
under  the  Prince  of  Orange.  A  furious  attack  was 
thereafter  made  on  Mackay's  artillery  and  cavalry, 
which  compelled  Mackay  to  ride  a  short  distance  for 
safety.  When  he  had  gone  far  enough  to  be  out  of 
danger  he  turned  round  to  survey  the  battlefield,  and 
to  his  surprise  both  armies  had  disappeared,  having  in 
their  fury  gone  down  pell-mell  to  the  river,  which  is  a 
considerable  distance  below  the  level  of  the  pass.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  battle  Claverhouse  had  taken  his 
place  in  front  of  his  cavalry,  bade  them  follow  him,  and 
rode  forward.  His  horse  hesitated  ;  he  turned  round, 
stood  up  in  his  stirrups,  and  waving  his  hat,  invited 
them  to  come  on.  As  he  lifted  his  arm  his  cuirass  rose 
and  exposed  the  lower  part  of  his  left  side  ;  a  musket- 
ball  struck  him  and  penetrated  some  inches  into  his 
chest  ;  his  horse  sprang  forward  and  plunged  into  a 


378  IRosal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

cloud  of  smoke,  which  hid  him  from  sight.  A  soldier 
named  Johnston  was  near  him,  and  caught  him  as  he 
sank  down  from  the  saddle.  "  How  goes  the  day  ?  "  said 
he.  "  Well  for  King  James,"  said  Johnston  ;  "  but  I  am 
sorry  for  your  lordship."  "  If  it  is  well  for  him,  it  matters 
the  less  for  me,"  said  he.  He  was  wrapped  in  two 
plaids,  was  carried  to  Blair  Castle,  and,  being  reverently 
put  to  bed,  he  desired  writing  materials,  when  he  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  his  master,  King  James.  It  was 
the  last  letter  he  ever  wrote,  as  he  died  next  morning : — 

It  has  pleased  God  to  give  your  forces  a  great  victory 
over  the  rebels,  in  which  three-fourths  of  them  are 
fallen  under  the  weight  of  our  swords.  I  might  say 
much  of  the  action  if  I  had  not  the  honour  to  command 
in  it,  but  of  5,000  men,  which  was  the  best  computation 
I  could  make  of  the  rebels,  it  is  certain  there  cannot 
have  escaped  1,200.  We  have  not  lost  full  out  900. 
The  absolute  victory  made  us  masters  of  the  field,  and 
the  enemy's  baggage,  which  I  gave  to  the  soldiers,  who, 
to  do  them  justice,  both  officers  and  men,  behaved 
themselves  with  equal  gallantry,  to  whatever  I  have  seen 
in  the  hottest  battles  fought  abroad  by  disciplined 
armies ;  and  this  Mackay's  old  soldiers  felt  on  this 
occasion.  I  cannot  now,  sir,  be  more  particular,  but 
take  leave  to  assure  your  Majesty  that  the  kingdom  is 
generally  disposed  for  your  service,  and  impatiently 
awaits  your  coming ;  and  this  success  will  bring  in  the 
rest  of  the  nobility  and  gentry,  having  had  all  the 
assurance  for  it  except  the  notorious  rebels.  Therefore, 
sir,  for  God's  sake,  assist  us,  though  it  be  with  such 
another  detachment  of  your  Irish  forces  as  you  sent  us 
before,  especially  of  horse  and  dragoons,  and  you  will 
crown  our  blessings  with  a  complete  success,  and 
yourself  with  an  entire  possession  of  your  ancient 
kingdom  of  Scotland.  My  wounds  forbid  me  to 
enlarge  to  your  Majesty  at  this  time,  though  they  tell 
me  they  are  not  mortal.  However,  sir,  I  beseech  you 
to  believe,  whether  I  live  or  die,  I  am  entirely  yours,1 

DUNDEE. 

It  has  not  been  finally  determined  whether  Claverhouse 
l  Stuart  Papers. 


of  Militant  an£>  /IDarg  379 

died  on  the  battlefield  or  in  Blair  Castle,  and  the 
genuineness  of  this  letter  has  therefore  been  called  in 
question.  In  the  ruined  church  of  Old  Blair  a  small 
mural  tablet  bears  the  following  inscription : — 

"Within  a  vault  beneath  are  interred  the  remains  of  John 
Graham  of  Claverhouse,  Viscount  Dundee,  who  fell  in  the  battle 
of  Killiecrankie,  2yth  July,  1689,  aged  46.  This  Memorial  is  placed 
by  John,  7th  Duke  of  Athole,  K.T.  1889." 

Claverhouse  was  interred  under  the  old  church  of 
Blair,  which  church  has  long  since  disappeared.1 
"  Never  vaulted  roof  or  marble  monument  covered  the 
last  abode  of  a  more  restless  and  ambitious  heart  than 
that  which  has  slept  in  this  quiet  spot  amidst  peasant 
dust"  2  Mackay  seems  to  have  first  thought  of  defending 
himself  within  the  garden  of  Urrard,  but  on  reflection  he 
resolved  on  a  retreat.  With  an  escort  he  made  his  way 
to  Drummond  Castle,  and  proceeded  the  following  day 
to  Stirling.3  His  loss  is  said  to  have  been  2,000,  inclusive 
of  500  taken  prisoners,  and  that  of  Claverhouse  900.  A 
rude  stone  on  the  field  of  battle  marks,  if  local  tradition 
can  be  trusted,  the  place  where  he  fell,  but  we  do  not 
think  the  actual  spot  can  be  absolutely  identified.  As 
far  as  the  great  interests  of  the  State  were  concerned  it 
mattered  not  whether  Killiecrankie  was  lost  or  won,  as 
the  Jacobites  were  gradually  getting  fewer  and  could 
not  long  hold  out  against  the  overwhelming  strength  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange.4 

1  After  the  battle  the  ghost  of  Claverhouse  is  said  (Chambers's 
Dom.  An.)  to  have  appeared  to  his  friend,  Lord  Balcarres,  then 
confined  in  Edinburgh  Castle.      The  ghost,  drawing  aside  the 
curtains  of  the  bed,  looked  steadfastly  on  the  Earl,  after  which  it 
moved  towards  the  mantel-piece,  remained  there  some  time  in  a 
leaning  posture,  and  then  walked  out  of  the  chamber.     Balcarres, 
in  great  surprise,  called  out  repeatedly  to  it  to  stop,  believing  it 
was  his  friend  Claverhouse,  but  received  no  answer,  and  sub- 
sequently learned  that  at  the  very  moment  when  this  shadow  stood 
before  him  Claverhouse  had  breathed  his  last. 

2  Hill  Burton. 

3  Mackay's  Memoirs. 

*  Archibald,  tenth   Earl   of  Argyll,  afterwards   first    Duke  of 


380  1Ro£al  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

The  Highland  chiefs,  who  were  Jacobites,  sent  the 
following  communication  to  General  Mackay : — 

BIRSE,  ijth  August,  1689. 

We  received  yours  from  Strathbogie,  and  we  saw  that 
you  wrote  to  Brigadier  Connon  from  Perth,  to  which  we 
gave  a  civil  answer,  for  by  stating  that  you  support 
yourselves  by  fictions  and  stories  (known  all  the  world 
over)  is  no  railing.  The  Christian  means,  as  you  say  in 
your  last,  you  make  use  of  to  advance  your  good  cause 
by,  is  evident  to  all  the  world.  And  the  argument  you 
use  to  move  us  to  address  your  Government  is  con- 
sequential to  the  whole,  for  instead  of  telling  us  what 
Christians,  men  of  honour,  good  subjects  and  good 
neighbours,  ought  to  do,  you  inform  us  that  His 
Majesty  has  hot  wars  in  Ireland,  and  cannot  in  haste 
come  to  us,  which,  though  it  were  true,  as  we  know  it  is 
not,  is  only  an  argument  of  policy.  And  that  you  may 
know  the  sentiments  of  men  of  honour  we  declare  to 
you  and  all  the  world  that  we  scorn  your  usurper 
(King  William),  and  the  indemnities  of  his  Government ; 
and  to  save  you  further  trouble  we  assure  you  we  are 
satisfied  that  our  King  (James)  will  take  his  own  time 
and  way  to  manage  his  dominions  and  punish  his  rebels. 
And  although  he  should  send  no  assistance  to  us,  we 
will  die,  sword  in  hand,  before  we  fail  in  our  loyalty  and 
allegiance  to  our  sovereign.  Judge,  then,  what  effect 

Argyll,  came  over  with  the  Prince  of  Orange  in  1688  from  Holland. 
His  estates  were  restored,  and  the  forfeitures  of  his  predecessors 
reversed  by  Parliament  on  the  following  terms  : — 

"  Edinburgh,  \st  August,  1689. — The  King  and  Queen,  by  the 
advice  of  the  Estates  of  Parliament,  hereby  rescind  and  annul  the 
doom  and  sentence  of  forfeiture  pronounced  by  the  Lord  Justice 
General  and  Commissioners  of  Justiciary  against  the  deceased, 
Archibald,  Earl  of  Argyll,  on  23rd  December,  1681,  and  act  of 
Parliament  of  May,  1685,  approving  the  same ;  declare  the  same 
to  have  been  from  the  beginning,  and  to  be  now,  and  in  all  time 
coming,  null  and  void,  and  restore  Archibald,  now  Earl  of  Argyll, 
and  the  children  of  the  deceased  Earl,  and  their  posterity,  against 
the  said  forfeiture,  and  ordain  the  same  to  be  expunged  and  razed 
out  of  the  record." 


IReign  of  William  anfc  flfoarg  381 

Duke  Hamilton's  letter  has  on  us,  but  you  have  got  an 
honourable  father  for  this  story  from  Ireland.  And 
though  we  can  better  tell  you  how  matters  go  in  Ireland, 
and  that  we  pity  those  on  whom  such  stories  have 
influence,  yet  since  we  have  no  orders  to  offer  conditions 
to  any  rebels,  we  allow  you  and  his  Grace  to  believe 
us,  and  take  your  measures  and  your  success  till  His 
Majesty's  further  orders.  Sir,  we  thank  you  for  the 
good  intention  of  your  invitation  (though  we  are  con- 
fident you  had  no  hope  of  success),  and  we  will  shortly 
endeavour  to  give  you  a  requital.  Those  of  us  who  live 
in  islands  have  already  seen  and  defied  the  Prince  of 
Orange  and  his  frigates.  We  have  returned  your  letter 
from  Duke  Hamilton  because  you  have  more  use  for  it 
than  we. 

H.  M'Lean  of  Lochbuie.  C.  Mackenzie. 

Alex.  M'Donell.  D.  M 'Donald. 

D.  M'D.  of  Benbeculla.  John  Grant  of  Ballindalloch. 

R.  M'Neill  of  Barra.  Pa.  Steuart. 

D.  M'Neill.  J.  M'Nachtane. 
Ro.  M'Donald.  Alex.  M'Donald. 
Jo.  M'Donald.  A.  M'Nachtane. 
Alex.  Maclaine.  Jo.  Cameron. 

Jo.  M'Lean.  Tho.  Farquharson. 

E.  Cameron  of  Lochiel. 

The  Cameron  Highlanders,  commanded  by  Clelland, 
were  three  weeks  afterwards  sent  to  garrison  Dunkeld 
in  the  interest  of  King  William.  General  Mackay  dis- 
approved of  this,  but  was  over-ruled.  The  inhabitants 
kept  Connon,  the  Jacobite  General,  fully  posted  up  with 
information,  most  of  the  clans  being  Jacobites.  On  the 
i /th  August  the  Camerons  reached  their  quarters,  and 
next  morning,  seeing  signs  of  hostility,  they  set  about 
cutting  trenches  and  making  barricades.  They  were 
first  threatened  by  the  Atholl  men,  who  sent  this 
message :  "  We,  the  gentlemen  assembled,  being 
informed  that  ye  intend  to  burn  the  town,  desire  to 
know  whether  ye  come  for  peace  or  war,  and  to  certify 


382  IRosal  Ifoouse  of  Stuart 

you  that  if  ye  burn  any  house  we  will  destroy  you." 
The  Camerons  replied :  "  We  are  faithful  subjects  of 
William  and  Mary,  and  enemies  to  their  enemies ;  if 
you  who  send  these  threats  make  any  hostile  appear- 
ance we  will  burn  all  that  belongs  to  you,  and  otherwise 
destroy  you  as  you  deserve." '  On  the  third  day  after 
Killiecrankie  there  came  to  Blair  500  of  Lochiel's  men  ; 
200  under  Stewart  of  Appin  ;  300  Macphersons  and 
Macdonalds,  with  all  the  Atholl  men.  This  made  up 
500.  On  the  morning  of  2ist  August  these  men 
crowned  the  neighbouring  hills  around  Dunkeld. 
Under  Connon,  who  commanded  after  Claverhouse 
fell,  they  came  close  round  the  village  to  make  the 
general  rush  as  at  Killiecrankie.  They  attacked  the 
Camerons  fiercely,  drove  in  their  outposts,  and  came 
pouring  on  every  side  into  the  streets  of  Dunkeld  ; 
they  were  again  and  again  driven  back.  The  houses 
were  crowded  from  top  to  bottom  with  Highlanders 
who  kept  up  a  constant  fire  from  the  windows.  Clelland, 
while  encouraging  his  men,  was  shot  dead,  and  the 
command  devolved  on  Major  Henderson.  In  another 
minute  Henderson  fell  pierced  with  three  mortal 
wounds ;  Captain  Munro  supplied  his  place  and  the 
fight  went  on  with  undiminished  fury.  The  Camerons 
then  set  fire  to  the  houses  from  which  the  fatal  shots 
had  come,  and  turned  the  keys  in  the  doors.  In  one 
house  sixteen  Jacobite  soldiers  were  burned  alive.  The 
Camerons  then  sent  a  party  of  men  with  blazing  faggots 
on  the  ends  of  long  pikes  who  set  fire  to  the  dry- 
thatched  houses  and  the  old  town  was  speedily  in 
flames.  The  struggle  was  prosecuted  with  great  fury 
for  four  hours  ;  every  house  was  burned  down  except 
three  in  which  the  Camerons  were  posted. 

The  Jacobite  or  defeated  Highlanders  retreated 
towards  Blair  and  afterwards  dispersed;  General 
Mackay  took  possession  of  Blair  Castle.  Mackay's 
bravery  was  not  very  conspicuous  at  Killiecrankie,  if 
we  may  judge  from  the  various  reports  published  ;  it 
1  Hill  Burton. 


ot  William  au&  /l&an?  383 

is  difficult,  however,  to  arrive  at  the  actual  facts ;  if  his 
troops  numbered  4,000,  as  some  writers  say,  it  seems 
mysterious  why  at  the  close  of  the  battle  he  had  so 
few  men  remaining.  We  think  4,000  an  over-statement, 
but  we  must  remember  that  a  large  portion  of  his  troops 
fled  from  the  field  of  battle  and  showed  great  cowardice, 
while  the  killed  and  wounded  are  estimated  at  2,000, 
a  number  unusually  great,  unless  it  includes  the  500 
who  were  taken  prisoners. 

Queen  Mary  was  at  this  period  (August,  1689)  alone 
in  her  administrative  capacity,  her  husband  having 
gone  to  the  Continent,  and  in  that  position  she  showed 
plenty  of  resource,  courage  and  capability,  which 
justified  the  high  respect  her  husband  entertained  for 
her  as  a  ruler.  She  had  just  heard  of  the  Beachy  Head 
defeat.  The  Royal  messengers  from  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land had  been  intercepted,  and  for  weeks  nothing  had 
been  heard  from  Edinburgh.  In  the  midst  of  all  this 
came  the  Montgomery  plot,  which  it  was  necessary  the 
Queen  herself  should  investigate.  She  met  the  con- 
spirators severally  alone ;  examined  them  sharply,  and 
kept  notes  of  their  statements.  The  Earl  of  Ross  was 
alarmed  by  the  Queen  demanding  written  answers  to 
her  questions.  He  said  it  was  beyond  their  bargain 
that  his  handwriting  should  remain  to  be  seen  and 
possibly  made  use  of.  The  Queen  then  charged  him 
with  concealment  and  prevarication,  and  committed 
him  to  custody  for  high  treason.  This  alarmed  the 
other  two  conspirators,  Montgomery  and  Annandale, 
who  immediately  after  took  the  oath  of  allegiance.1 

Parliament  met  on  ipth  October  at  Westminster, 
when  a  Special  Committee  was  appointed  to  inquire 
who  were  answerable  for  the  deaths  of  Lord  Russell, 
Sidney,  and  other  eminent  Whigs  who  did  not  sympathise 
with  the  Government  of  James  II.,  or  his  brother 
Charles.  The  Earl  of  Stamford  was  chairman  of  this 
Committee.  It  inspected  the  books  of  the  Council. 
The  clerks  of  Council  were  examined.  Some  facts 
1  Hill  Burton. 


384  IRo^al  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

disgraceful  to  the  judges,  to  the  solicitors,  to  the 
Treasury,  to  the  witnesses  for  the  Crown,  and  to  the 
keepers  of  the  State  prisons  were  elicited  ;  but  about  the 
packing  of  juries  no  evidence  could  be  obtained.  The 
previous  Parliament  reversed  the  attainder  of  Lord 
William  Russell,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  who  had 
been  unwarrantably  executed  by  the  command  of 
James.  Sir  Dudley  North,  a  severe  and  cruel  judge 
under  James,  underwent  a  severe  examination  for  his 
judgments.  He  was  dishonest  as  well  as  cruel,  and 
was  sharply  handled  by  the  Committee.  Halifax,  Sir 
Robert  Sawyer,  and  various  others  were  examined,  and 
many  of  their  judgments  reversed.  The  infamous 
Titus  Gates,  who  had  lived  through  three  years  of  his 
punishment,  was  set  at  liberty,  having  had  his  ears 
clipped  off.  King  William  watched  these  proceedings 
with  anxiety,  sometimes  with  impatience,  and  declared 
himself  weary  of  his  crown ;  he  had  tried  to  do  justice 
to  all  parties. 

There  was  great  excitement  in  Scotland  after  the 
proclamation  of  William  and  Mary.  On  Christmas 
Day,  1689,  the  Covenanters  held  armed  musters  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  each  band  marched  to  the 
nearest  manse,  sacked  the  cellar  and  larder  of  the 
minister,  which  at  that  season  was  well  stocked ;  his 
furniture  was  thrown  out  of  the  windows,  and  his  wife 
and  children  turned  out  of  doors.  He  was  then  carried 
to  the  market-place  and  exposed  as  a  malefactor.  His 
gown  was  torn  to  shreds  over  his  head,  and  he  was 
dismissed  with  a  charge  never,  as  he  valued  his  life,  to 
officiate  in  the  parish  again. 

On  the  2/th  January,  1690,  the  Commons  repaired  to 
the  House  of  Lords ;  the  King  was  on  the  throne  ;  he 
announced  his  intention  of  going  to  Parliament.  This 
intimation  was  received  with  great  acclamation.  All 
his  actions  at  this  time  indicated  his  determination  to 
restrain  steadily,  though  gently,  the  violence  of  the 
Whigs,  and  to  conciliate  the  good-will  of  the  Tories. 
Some  of  the  prelates  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance, 


of  William  an&  flDars  385 

specially  the  Primate,  and  five  of  his  suffragans,  who 
were  said  to  be  inflexible.  They  consequently  forfeited 
their  bishoprics,  but  Sancroft  was  informed  that  the 
King  had  not  yet  relinquished  the  hope  of  being  able 
to  make  some  arrangement  which  might  avert  the 
necessity  of  appointing  successors,  and  that  they  might 
continue  for  the  present  to  reside  in  their  palaces, 
receivers  for  the  Crown  being  appointed  to  collect  the 
revenue.  Then  appeared  the  proclamation  dissolving 
Parliament.  On  2Oth  March  the  new  Parliament  met : 
Sir  John  Trevor  being  appointed  Speaker.  The  King 
opened  Parliament  with  a  speech  from  the  throne, 
recommending  for  the  immediate  consideration  of  the 
House  the  settling  of  the  revenue,  and  the  granting  of 
an  annuity.  The  hereditary  revenue  had  passed  with 
the  crown  to  William  and  Mary,  and  it  amounted 
to  between  four  and  five  hundred  thousand  pounds.1 

The  Excise  and  Customs'  duties  at  this  period 
amounted  to  about  double  that  sum.  That  portion  of 
the  Excise  which  had  been  settled  for  life  on  James, 
estimated  at  ^"300,000  a  year,  was  settled  on  William 
and  Mary  for  their  joint  lives.  This  and  the  hereditary 
revenue  constituted  their  income.  William  was  not 
satisfied  with  it ;  it  was  small  ;  he  thought  it  unjust  and 
ungrateful  in  a  people  whose  liberties  he  had  saved  to 
bind  him  over  to  his  good  behaviour. 

The  King  and  Queen,  since  the  commencement  of 
their  reign,  had  not  been  on  very  good  terms  with  the 
Princess  Anne.  She  thought  the  King's  temper  sour 
and  his  manners  repulsive,  but  she  was  incapable  of 
appreciating  his  higher  qualities.  "  Anne  when  in 
good  humour  was  meekly  stupid,  and  when  in  bad 
humour  sulkily  stupid."  The  fondness  of  the  Princess 
Anne  for  Lady  Marlborough  was  such  as  in  a  super- 
stitious age  would  have  been  ascribed  to  some  talisman 
or  potion.  The  two  ladies,  in  their  confidential  inter- 
course, dropped  all  ceremony,  and  became  Mrs.  Morley 
and  Mrs.  Freeman ;  Prince  George,  Anne's  husband, 
1  Commons'  Journals,  28th  March,  1690. 

VOL.    II.  2  B 


386  TRogal  Ibouse  of  Stuart 

who  cared  nothing  for  the  dignity  of  his  birth,  sub- 
mitted to  be  Mr.  Morley.  Nothing,  the  historian  says, 
is  more  curious  than  the  relation  in  which  the 
two  ladies  stood  to  Mr.  Freeman,  as  they  called 
Marlborough. 

This  was  an  anxious  and  painful  time  for  both 
clergy  and  people.  Parliament  passed  an  act 
providing  that  whenever  William  should  go  out 
of  England  it  would  be  lawful  for  Mary  to  administer 
the  government  in  his  name  and  her  own.  During 
his  absence  he  would  retain  all  his  authority.  His 
Irish  prospects  were  hopeful  ;  his  activity  in  urging 
forward  his  preparations  for  war  had  produced  an 
extraordinary  effect;  abundant  supplies  of  food, 
clothing  and  medicine  were  sent  across  the  Channel ; 
1,000  baggage  waggons  were  sent ;  the  road  between 
London  and  Chester  being  for  some  weeks  covered 
with  them,  and  before  the  end  of  May  the  English 
troops  in  Ulster  numbered  30,000.  The  following 
ordinance,  on  behalf  of  the  Presbyterian  clergy,  was 
issued  by  Parliament : — 

EDINBURGH,  i^th  April,  1690. 

The  King  and  Queen,  with  advice  and  consent  of 
the  Estates  of  Parliament,  ordain  and  appoint  that  all 
Presbyterian  ministers,  still  alive,  who  were  thrust 
from  their  charges  since  ist  Janu